tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27809916411850019262019-09-10T05:27:53.831-07:00The Coder Tips: Programming, Business and TechnologyFrom PHP guides to small marketing. From ePayments all the way through to BioTech. Your all-tech passport.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-81942331512234795202019-04-25T04:27:00.000-07:002019-06-24T03:19:21.730-07:00Which Programming Language is Best to Learn for Beginners?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dY0SdJBYsw8/XMGZvzQPjnI/AAAAAAAACvo/6prt1G-P9mY9Y-heX_fvhhvuTsv_bZAgACLcBGAs/s1600/happycoder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="373" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dY0SdJBYsw8/XMGZvzQPjnI/AAAAAAAACvo/6prt1G-P9mY9Y-heX_fvhhvuTsv_bZAgACLcBGAs/s400/happycoder.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div>There are dozens of programming languages out there, so deciding what language to learn as a beginner can be tricky. Python is one of the most popular and most accessible languages to learn. There are extensive libraries of tools available online to help you create excellent programs, and it can be used by itself, or as part of a broader framework. Additionally, the job market for programmers fluent in Python has been growing significantly in recent years which makes it the best language to learn as a beginning programmer.<br /><br /><h3><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What is Python?</b></span></h3><br />Python is highly versatile, and the easy-to-learn language that has become incredibly popular amongst developers since its development in 1991. It is an interpreted language used primarily in web, video game, and software development. When you run a program created with an interpreted language, the code is reduced to machine-specific instructions. Other interpreted languages include the popular Java and C++, but Python has proven much easier to learn than these other older languages.<br /><br />According to Python.org, an interpreted language like Python requires fewer lines of code to make a program run ’ sometimes up to ten times less! This shorter length means that a lot of time can be saved by using Python as opposed to other languages. Where programs created using some of the older languages, such as C++, may take a year to code fully, a Python programmer can finish the same program in about two months. The short programming time and program length make it an excellent option for programmers juggling multiple projects as well as for companies that like short turnaround times.<br /><br />The biggest downside of Python is that its programs can run slow when compared to those programmed with some other languages. This is because Python is an interpreted language as opposed to a compiled language, which would save a program as machine-specific instructions instead of reducing the code to machine-specific instructions when the program runs, as interpreted languages do. However, despite the speed of the program itself, Python emphasizes a fast “edit-test-debug cycle,” and when a bug does appear, it is easy to find and fix when compared to other languages.<br /><br /><h4><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Growing Demand for Python Programmers</b></span></h4><br />The growing demand for AI, machine learning, and data mining have created an ideal environment for programmers fluent in Python. According to Coding Dojo, Java remains the most popular language amongst new job listings, but Python was the only dominant language to show up in more job listings in 2018 than the previous year. This rise in popularity is because the language appeared in an additional 5,000 listings from 2017. In addition to an increase in job opportunities, the average salary has also risen over $20,000 since 2014, coming in at $108,000 annually. The continually increasing job opportunities and average pay make <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/search/label/python" target="_blank">Python</a> an attractive language to start a career in programming.<br /><br />Some of the most popular websites and social media platforms in the world were built, in whole or in part, using Python. For example, Instagram’s video sharing functionality showcases the ability of the language to work well alongside other programming languages. The app’s video sharing functionality creates an easy way for people to share video alongside still images millions of times a day. Similarly, Reddit relies on Python for several of the website’s most important user-centric features. Other sites were built entirely using Python. An example of this is Survey Monkey. Interactivity is at the center of the online survey website, and Python has made that functionality possible. Google has also been vocal about the usefulness of Python and Python programmers, saying, “…dozens of Google engineers use Python, and we're looking for more people with skills in this language.”<br /><br />The fact that Python is easy to learn, can be used in a variety of environments, requires fewer lines of code than other languages, and is currently used on some of the most prominent websites and platforms is enough reason to suggest that the open-source language is the best starting place for a beginner in programming languages. A growing job market with increasingly lucrative opportunities further solidifies Python as the smartest option to begin a career in programming code.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-21145457940901319362019-03-11T11:50:00.003-07:002019-06-24T02:40:55.708-07:00Early Learning of Technology for Generation Z<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69kiOtvbVM4/XIat0_bJxrI/AAAAAAAACts/B3tgjkEMNEEODPnzT_CWCBL-aL1MlTsoQCLcBGAs/s1600/home-cat-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="253" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69kiOtvbVM4/XIat0_bJxrI/AAAAAAAACts/B3tgjkEMNEEODPnzT_CWCBL-aL1MlTsoQCLcBGAs/s320/home-cat-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Literacy doesn’t just refer to be ability to read anymore. It refers to the ability to understand and communicate through various mediums, such as: email, phone, blogs, texts, tweets etc. Having an understanding on how something works is possibly more important than actually being able to do the work yourself. Understanding where we are means understanding where we came from, looking through a capsule of time between generations and what was needed in each education system and how instill it. <br /><br /><h3><b>Generational Differences</b></h3><br />Baby Boomers: those born between 1944 and 1964. Have watched the entire world evolve from having a close group of friends you play with and having a tight close knit community around you to people not even knowing their neighbors’ names. It’s got to be a bit dis-satisfying to see the impersonalization happen to your world and community. Skeptical of technology and while they may use it, they do not typically use it to its full capabilities. <br /><br />Gen X: those born between 1965 and 1979. Still grew up without borders, being able to run free during summer months and study hard while school was in session, the last age of oblivious innocence. Are accepting and skeptical of technology.<br /><br />Gen Y, aka Millennials: those born between 1980 and 1995. Grew up with the expansion of the internet and connectivity. They saw technological evolution from the start and watched it develop over the years. They still remember how to use ‘old school’ technology like fax machines and dot matrix printers. They generally accept technology and use it. <br /><br />Gen Z: anyone born after 1995. These people are growing up without the privilege of anonymity. They believe everything should be instant and are confused by the idea of having to research something. Patience is a hard fought virtue that is hard to understand in a world of instant gratification of just about everything, but hard work! They fully accept technology just as they accept the air around them. <br /><br /><h3>Education by Generation</h3><br /><a href="https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2061.html">Baby Boomers education</a> was better than their parents and being able to do better than your parents was the goal. More people graduated high school and sought post high school education than ever before. Colleges and Universities grew because of it. The learning style however did not. It was respecting your teacher or professor, do not question them, learn, pass, graduate and get a job. There were obviously some who challenged the system, but they were likely shunned and or kicked out of school for radical ideas. <br /><br />Gen X’s education was the beginning of the transformation. More people from this generation challenged the status quo of their very existence in the educational system. Meaning they fought for changes beyond what the previous generations had done. They went from using typewriters to computers and embraced the changes set before them. They were more fiercely independent than their parents before them. <br /><br />Gen Y’s education is the highest among all generational groups. Their worldwide knowledge is greater than any other generation. However, this global knowledge comes global competition. <br /><br />Gen Z’s educational preferences are already showing new trends, as noted in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sievakozinsky/2017/07/24/how-generation-z-is-shaping-the-change-in-education/#60a76c156520">Forbes magazine</a>, this generation is beginning to take college classes and they aren’t interested in sitting through lectures and just memorizing dates and phrases. They want an immersion of their education, something hands on, where they can communicate and contribute to a group and learn via experiencing versus reading and taking tests. <br /><br /><h3>Skill Sets for the Modern World </h3><br />Beyond the basic math, science and history, one must learn to progress through the education system, it’s becoming more apparent that more exposure is needed when it comes to technology. Not just using technology but understanding how it works and how to create new technology. Understanding programming or coding is easier the earlier you learn it. If you use any type of technology, you are using a program. The science behind the simple user interface isn’t as complicated at you may think. Understanding that the world is dynamic and being able to constantly adapt is a crucial skill for anyone entering the workforce. <br /><br />The most generic form of people know of and hear about is that programming is a bunch of 0’s and 1’s that create a code to tell computers what to do, but it’s much simpler than trying to read 0010 0110 1100. It is a simple algorithm of logic or <a href="http://reoiv.com/random.asp?img=problem-solving-flow-chart%2Egif">yes or no questions</a> and answers. Every program out there starts out with a basic question followed by essentially a yes or true response or a no or false response. Everything in coding builds off of those two very simple things. Understanding logic is key to understand programming. <br /><br /><h3>Changing Education </h3><br />Gen Z is changing and challenging the education system as we know it. They are learning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlfa5v3ullg">common core math</a>, which is an insane concept if you learned the ‘old school’ way. Yet they are learning better in immersion into an activity vs listening to a lecture. While parents and teachers are canvassing for smaller class sizes, they are also fighting to teach beyond the standardized test requirements. These students grew up with immediate access to information that used to only be available after sifting through books and research papers in libraries, and they know they do not have to memorize everything in order to perform tasks. <br /><br /><h3>Changing Play - Changing Learning</h3><br />With the ever changing world around us, understanding how simple programming works is imperative to understanding how to communicate. Pushing to have <a href="https://www.robocamp.eu/en/why-teach-kids-programming/">more technology in classes</a> such as coding available at an early age is crucial helping kids of today succeed. They learn the basics of programing which helps them learn because they can start and customize for their personal learning level. It does not have to reflect their age, but their level of comfort with technology. Gen Z <a href="https://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/ask-heidi/kids-and-ipads-the-pros-and-cons">kids are just comfortable with technology</a>, it just happens. They are not afraid of it, they do not think they will break it and because of this, it is a great way to engage them in learning. <br /><br />Kids of yesteryear used to have to go out and find someone to play with, however Gen Z kids can log on and play with friends anywhere in the world. Giving them a larger social network to choose from. They are not locked into playing with whoever lived on the same street as we were. Giving them an opportunity for exposure to different cultures and different countries around the world when they have one thing in common, like an online game. <br /><br />Schools today not only utilize computers, but some even issue computers and or laptops to all students. This ensures that all the students all have the same learning platform, giving students the same technology basis to start from. Having technology like this means they can engage the students more so than just lecturing students on how to do something, they can work in a virtual sandbox where they can actually do the things they are learning about. <br /><br />The greater understanding students have of technology, presumably programming, they understand how to make things work and how things have worked in the past. Teaching in a virtual sandbox allows kids to learn that making mistakes isn’t the end of the world and sometimes it can lead to a bigger learning experience, most adults today still have yet to learn this vital life lesson. <br /><br /><b>Recap </b><br /><br />Each generation has made an impact on education. The Boomers grew the post high school institutions to the large communities they are today. Gen X began to challenge the ‘system.’ Gen Y experienced the change of instant information and Gen Z is having a greater impact in decisions about ‘how’ they learn. <br /><br />Each generation has been the more educated than the last. We’ve learned that embracing technology and understanding how it works has more than benefits than just learning how to ‘code.’ Each generations ability has enabled the next for growth and progress. Learning how to engage with the virtual world is just as important as learning how to engage with the community around you. Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-30560048437057212502019-01-17T06:25:00.001-08:002019-06-24T01:42:27.702-07:00Groundbreaking tech advances expected to take place in the coming years The 20th century was the most violent century in the history of humankind. It was also the most innovative century in human history, a fact that still gives our species hope amidst the daunting crises we now face. The 2020s will be a pivotal decade. Fortunately, technologies are coming down the pike that will reshape society for the better. Below, we’ll highlight five tech advances that will make an enormous impact on society.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktujXODhjRY/XECQavadSNI/AAAAAAAACq4/q6H1cJpPbDkHXEhQ2ieOLuknaLy0m7fmwCLcBGAs/s1600/2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="530" height="137" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktujXODhjRY/XECQavadSNI/AAAAAAAACq4/q6H1cJpPbDkHXEhQ2ieOLuknaLy0m7fmwCLcBGAs/s320/2020.png" width="320" /></a></div><h3><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Groundbreaking tech advances expected to take place in the coming years </b></span></h3><br /><h4><b>(1) Electrified self-driving vehicles&nbsp;</b></h4><br />Electrified self-driving vehicles are poised to disrupt both the oil &amp; gas and auto industries. Don’t believe us? Let’s start with the coming EV revolution – according to the International Energy Agency, the global electric vehicle fleet is set to grow from 3.1 million to over 125 million by 2030. This is a conservative estimate – if governments around the world begin to take climate change seriously, 220 million EVs could be roaming roads by 2030.<br /><br />While gasoline-powered ICE cars will still be around in 2030, their numbers will soon start declining, if they haven’t already started doing so. According to a survey conducted by the American Automobile Association, 20% of respondents plan on making an electric vehicle their next purchase.<br /><br />Bloomberg projects electric vehicles will reach price parity with ICE vehicles as soon as 2022. This will displace oil consumption to the point where the world will be pumping two million barrels per day more than it needs. And that’s just the start.<br /><br />Now, let’s talk about autonomous vehicles. As we speak, level 5 (or completely autonomous) concept cars already exist. BMW claims they’ll have a level 5 on the road by 2020, and Tesla production cars may make the jump to level 3 autonomy (car in control, with the driver able to take over in an emergency) soon as next year.<br /><br />This puts the world on track for level 5 autonomous cars by the end of next decade. Unless you want to, there will be no need to own a car&nbsp; – you’ll simply be able to call one and have them drive you wherever you need to go.<br /><br />With increasing numbers of urbanites ditching their rides, the number of cars on the road will stall and then plummet. The vehicles that remain will become increasingly autonomous and electric. Cars are presently responsible for 28% of American greenhouse gas emissions – if this shift occurs, it will help mitigate the ongoing rise in global temperatures.<br /><br /><h4><b>(2) Brain-to-brain communication</b></h4><br />Passing notes in class is so 20th century. However, smartphones are hard to conceal. Soon, however, your teenagers will be able to transmit thoughts to their crush directly, and nobody will be the wiser.<br /><br />Sound impossible? Thanks to groundbreaking research conducted earlier this decade, a day may soon come when this Star Trek-esque advance will become science fact. A few years ago, researchers from the University of Washington managed to send a simple ‘hello’ from the mind of one research participant through the internet to a colleague’s 8,000 kilometres away.<br /><br />Once honed, this advance will have a wide range of applications. Communication with those silenced by strokes, brain injuries, and birth defects will be possible. Emergency workers will be able to communicate easily in chaotic situations. Couples will be able to discuss a movie without angering fellow theatre patrons.<br /><br />However, serious ethical issues will need to be addressed. Will students be able to cheat on exams without their teacher knowing? Will debating politicians be fed lines by fixers off-stage, Manchurian Candidate-style? Will you able to read the thoughts of others? It will be interesting to see how this technology evolves in the coming decades.&nbsp; <br /><br /><h4><b>(3) Hyperloop trains</b></h4><br />Hatched from the mind of master inventor Elon Musk in 2012, the Hyperloop is a transport system that promises to change how we move about the world. An airless tube that serves as a conduit for passenger-carrying modules, it is claimed this futuristic mode of transport could eventually hit cruising speeds of over 1,200 kilometres per hour.<br /><br />What does this mean in real-world terms? This would allow someone to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in only a half-hour – much faster than driving (5 hours 43 minutes) or flying (1 hour 25 minutes).<br /><br />After a few years of research and development by universities like MIT and the Technical University of Munich, the first real-world prototypes are now under construction. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is presently constructing test tracks in China and France, with plans to build additional prototypes in the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine. <br /><br />Sir Richard Branson recently unveiled plans to build the UK’s first Hyperloop from London to Edinburgh, while Elon Musk himself is about to open a concept tunnel underneath Los Angeles within the next year.<br /><br />If the Hyperloop manages to live up to the hype, it will massively disrupt short and medium haul flights, to say nothing of car, bus, and legacy train services. Even if it is not powered by fossil-fuel free electricity, this innovation will greatly reduce the carbon intensity of travel.<br /><br />According to analysis conducted by the Department of Transportation in the United States, Hyperloop travel could be up to six times more energy efficient than comparable short haul air routes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><h4><b>(4) Vertical farms</b></h4><br />As our climate continues to change, agricultural land will come under stress. Drier conditions, flash floods, record heat, and sudden frosts will all wreak havoc on crop yields. In addition to mitigation tactics like desalination and genetic engineering, the construction of vertical farms will be key to feeding our planet as the 21st century progresses.<br /><br />What are vertical farms? They are indoor agricultural facilities where crops can be grown in a climate-controlled environment. Light is provided by arrays of full spectrum LED bulbs, while water comes from hydroponic systems. According to the creator of a vertical farm prototype in Japan, these facilities use 30 to 50 times less water than traditional greenhouses – great news for those about to inherit an H2O-constrained world.<br /><br />It’s important to note that these facilities are still in their infancy. Commercially available LEDs are only 28% efficient at present – however, with lights that boast 68% efficiency currently in development, vertical farm products may approach cost parity with field crops by the end of the next decade.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><h4>(5) Bioengineered meat</h4><br />It’s getting increasingly uncomfortable to be an omnivore these days. They’ve had to deal with ethical challenges for years, but now, it’s become a well-known fact that meat production is a major carbon emitter.<br /><br />According to a United Nations report, the raising of livestock (poultry included) is responsible for 18% of all CO2 emissions. With drastic action now required to avoid runaway climate change, a rapid shift away from field-raised meat is necessary.<br /><br />Fortunately for the steak lovers among us, researchers have been working for decades to find a way to make meat in the laboratory. The first cultured meat experiments were conducted by NASA in the early 2000s. However, it wasn’t until the early 2010s when serious efforts began to create the world’s first lab-made burger.<br /><br />Delivered in 2013, this patty cost $300,000 to make. By 2017, though, the procedure had become far more cost-effective, bringing the price of a lab-made hamburger down to about $11. At this rate, we can expect to find flavourful, cost-competitive lab meat in grocery store meat coolers by the middle of next decade.<br /><br />When this happens, the demand for meat from factory farms will fall drastically, lowering carbon emissions as omnivores move to a guilt-free source of animal protein.<br /><br /><b>Fasten your seat belts – it’s gonna get wild</b><br /><br />It took one hundred years for the telephone to become universal. The smartphone went from zero to over 70% penetration in a decade. The rate of technological progress is accelerating exponentially – wherever it leads us, the coming years certainly won’t be boring ones.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-15396549798637682142018-12-04T07:02:00.000-08:002019-06-24T02:09:52.306-07:00Frameworks you need to know right now for PHP<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Time is money in the software business. With globalized competition in every niche, the pressure is on to get a product to market fast, as seizing the first-mover advantage is crucial to success.&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--TXn_VY9ctE/XAaXgMEtwYI/AAAAAAAACpw/CAD-cgt4oisVJ7fo91kTQh63YDPF29RKACLcBGAs/s1600/codingframeworks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="420" height="263" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--TXn_VY9ctE/XAaXgMEtwYI/AAAAAAAACpw/CAD-cgt4oisVJ7fo91kTQh63YDPF29RKACLcBGAs/s400/codingframeworks.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>To save time, most successful companies have their programmers use frameworks rather than having them crank out code from scratch. This makes sense, as this reduces costly mistakes, standardizes work flow, and frees up hours spent on repetitive work.<br /><br /><h3><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Which frameworks are best for programmers?&nbsp;</b></span></h3><br />Frameworks can be applied to any programming language – PHP is no different. Having one in place when programming in this language can save enormous amounts of time and grief – below, we’ll look at a few that can help radically increase productivity.<br /><br /><h3><b>Laravel</b></h3><br /><a href="https://medium.com/@kunshtech/5-important-reasons-for-rising-popularity-of-laravel-php-framework-dadbab33749d" target="_blank">Laravel is a very popular tool among PHP coders</a> thanks to its well-constructed syntax and easy to understand interface. This helps programmers to cache/queue websites or send an authentication prompt faster than if they had to create the relevant code on their own.<br /><br />Its immense popularity has created a large community around this application. Any coder that runs into a roadblock need only ask a question or search numerous discussion forums to get the answer they need to move forward.<br /><br />Because of these advantages, Laravel has been used to construct the back end of web applications and websites for everything from app developers to major corporations. As such, every PHP coder should have a shortcut to this program on their workstation.&nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><br /><h3><b>Symfony</b></h3><br />Although this interface can be confusing for some, Symfony is a powerful software development tool in the hands of experienced developers. <a href="https://codeburst.io/drupal-8-core-and-symfony-components-e4690b2636e7?gi=df944146a68d" target="_blank">Take Drupal for example</a>, as this popular content management platform had its later versions built with the help of reusable PHP components that are included within this framework.<br /><br />Like Laravel, its widespread utilization means Symfony has a dedicated community of programmers who swear by it. This is good news for neophytes, as there are active communities online that can help overcome the initial confusion caused by processes such as object configuration, routing, and others.&nbsp; <br /><b><br /></b> <br /><h3><b>CodeIgniter</b></h3><br />Any programmer starting out in web development can get intimidated by what is expected of them in the workplace. Thankfully, CodeIgniter has simplified the process of programming in PHP to the point where most new users will feel confident about their coding within a matter of days.<br /><br />This is possible due to libraries which make mundane tasks like writing SQL queries far simpler than it is by hand. For most basic websites, users of CodeIgniter need only copy and paste the code from these libraries and make modifications where necessary.<br /><br />With numerous plugins like Dataspark – which makes database creation a breeze – it is useful for a wide variety of web development tasks. Because of its user-friendly interface and its flexibility, CodeIgniter also has a large following. This facilitates learning even more, as a simple Google search turns up scores of tutorials created by CodeIgniter enthusiasts.<br /><br /><h3><b>CakePHP</b></h3><br />Though less known compared to other PHP frameworks, CakePHP is lauded by programmers for its simplicity. Though it lacks the complexity of Laravel and Symfony, its simplified nature makes it a great framework for beginner coders to learn at the start of their programming career.<br /><br />This doesn’t mean it can’t tackle major projects, though – programmers have used CakePHP to create visually stunning websites for major corporations like Sainsbury Bank in the United Kingdom. However, many experienced coders opt to switch to more flexible, powerful frameworks for more complicated projects after learning this program.&nbsp; <br /><br /><h3><b>Zend</b></h3><br />Building websites and applications for large enterprises? Programmers in these environments love Zend, as it has features designed to cater to their specific needs. This framework uses object-oriented programming methods, making it easier to manage extraordinarily long strings of code that often found in the back end of enterprise applications.<br /><br />With components that allow coders to encrypt client data, insert forms with ease, and validate programs quickly, Zend is perfect for programmers who need to get their work done quickly and efficiently.<br /><br /><h4><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Professional coders need to get comfortable with multiple frameworks</b></span></h4><br />Leaving programmers to their own devices is a risky proposition. If they write messy, <a href="https://dzone.com/articles/how-to-avoid-messy-code" target="_blank">difficult to understand code</a>, those that come after them may not know where to begin when the time comes to modify it.<br /><br />After running into these issues, many companies have adopted frameworks that their coders must follow. When posting ‘Help Wanted’ ads, HR lists these standards in the requirements they want in a successful applicant.&nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><br />Not all businesses are on the same page, though – some prefer CodeIgniter, while others use Symfony for their programming needs. Having a background in multiple frameworks is essential not just for those hoping to join the workforce, but as a professional. By familiarizing themselves with the most popular frameworks, mid-career coders can maximize their employment options.<br /><div><br /></div></div>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-32064943494160792072018-09-18T00:44:00.000-07:002019-06-24T02:16:34.952-07:00Big Markets for Outsourcing Coding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0TUZ3MCRWNU/W6CslM9MAJI/AAAAAAAABgk/_JPQNR29Fuk2z9X7QSZp-QLxNbdCnggrwCLcBGAs/s1600/Outsource%2Bcoding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0TUZ3MCRWNU/W6CslM9MAJI/AAAAAAAABgk/_JPQNR29Fuk2z9X7QSZp-QLxNbdCnggrwCLcBGAs/s400/Outsource%2Bcoding.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />In the early 2000’s outsourcing was a very negative word that meant people were losing their jobs in the US. Today outsourcing doesn’t have the same meaning it did back then. Outsourcing can mean hiring freelancers to handle projects instead of adding additional workloads to your existing employees.<br /><br />One of the <a href="https://www.consultancy.uk/news/3169/the-top-40-countries-for-business-process-outsourcing" target="_blank">biggest market</a> for outsourcing has been in India. They have more skilled people each year capable of working remotely and that meet companies needs for IT work, like coding. Indian IT graduates are usually proficient in their English and provide low cost for high demand requirements when it comes to coding.<br /><br />Freelance coders from India are able to handle much of the work sent to them by their US clients, there are definitive impacts outsourcing has had on the global economy.<br /><br /><b>India’s Competitive Advantage</b><br /><br />When you think about paying for a coder $6.80 USD per hour it might seem shocking, considering the US federal minimum wage is $7.25! However India has a lower cost of living. This lower cost of living with the globalization of freelance coding gives India a direct advantage over doing business with other business in the states or in Europe. It <a href="https://www.virtualemployee.com/services/hire-developers" target="_blank">costs less to get coding</a> work done remotely in India versus domestically. <b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>Outsourcing Impact on India </b><br /><br />India has greatly benefited from the globalization of the information technology jobs. Where once India had no major export to offer the world, they now have an export of remote labor that can be used worldwide. They have an undeniable advantage over competitors for the US outsourcing market.<br /><br />When a client in the US makes a request, India’s workday starts when the US’s workday ends, India can have one day turnaround for its US clients. This means that instead of having US coders work long hours, evening shifts, or overtime, you can have work done overnight and come back and it is done and for less money! <b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>Protectionism Impact on India</b><br /><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism" target="_blank">Protectionism</a> is the use of economic policies to limit the amount of imports from one country to another. Under the Trump administration, they are viewing outsourcing as a one-way impact, and how it impacts the states and the states only. This has sent a message to India to be aware that if policies change it could dissipate their current competitive advantage they have for their highest export, remote labor. If <a href="https://www.asiasentinel.com/econ-business/rising-usa-protectionism-india-industry/" target="_blank">labor is restricted</a> or other sanctions are enacted this could impact the employment of everyday people in India and people trying to get work visas in the states. <b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>Freelance Coders</b><br /><br />You do not need to work for an organization to do coding, you can freelance your coding skills. Coders can register with sites like: Freelancer.com, Upwork.com and HireCoder.com and work anywhere in the world and have clients anywhere in the world. This platform allows individuals or businesses to search out the skills they need for a specific task, like <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/search/label/php" target="_blank">coding</a>, they can negotiate and hire someone to get the job done.<br /><br />Along with an hourly rate being lower than US coders, businesses save by not having to pay for employee expenses like payroll taxes, insurance and the overhead of providing an office space for employee coders. <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2018/08/why-are-there-so-many-software.html" target="_blank">Coders from India</a> are able to freelance out their skills and earn better income than if they worked for a company in India, and still provide a cost advantage over US freelance coders. <b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>Global Impact </b><br /><br />Thus far, most all of those involved are benefiting from the existence of outsourcing coding. Coding that is simple and the requirements can easily be explained can be exported to India by US companies. Coders here state side, handle more <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/search/label/python" target="_blank">complex coding</a> issues, thus they are certainly not out of work, but regularly handle more in-depth coding requirements than what is outsourced. In fact there are still jobs that are not being filled state side for coders! There are more opportunities than there are capable coders. Companies are able to save money by not paying their in-house coders to do tasks that can be done through outsourcing.<br /><br />Years back people believed that all IT jobs could be handled through outsourcing to India, but corporations soon learned that while they were saving money, they were spending money on other things. It took longer to get the requirements of complex projects handled, thus much of this <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/26/outsourcing-reverses-as-developing-nation-firms-hire-us-freelancers.html" target="_blank">work came back to the States</a> to be handled by US trained coders.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-19730183126528587552018-08-24T04:24:00.001-07:002019-06-24T02:42:22.900-07:00Why are there so many software developers in India?<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Gy9NOY8TDE/XRCVmMX9VrI/AAAAAAAABmU/VggOZwtTfQo5hFlg5p23YelKXmNOISlNwCLcBGAs/s1600/Indian%2Bsoftware%2Bdevelopers.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Gy9NOY8TDE/XRCVmMX9VrI/AAAAAAAABmU/VggOZwtTfQo5hFlg5p23YelKXmNOISlNwCLcBGAs/s400/Indian%2Bsoftware%2Bdevelopers.jpg" /></a></div><br />India is the second most populated country in the world and with that many people around there is fierce competition for livelihood. Even with the <a href="http://family.jrank.org/pages/859/India-Family-Life-Family-Values.html">family structure evolving in India</a>, adults seek the advice of their parents. In Indian society parents want their children to be successful, and being successful to many of them is to either become a doctor or a <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/india-coding-children-opportunity/">software engineer</a>.<br /><br /><h3><b>Family Structure </b></h3><br />Traditionally the Indian family structure is of multiple generations living together, while modern society is steering away from this structure it is still widely accepted as the norm. Even after children are grown they will still seek the advice and approval of their parents. <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-are-there-so-many-Software-Developers-from-India">Seeking approval</a> can lead these young adults into careers they are not interested in just to prove to their parents that they are successful. Since the family structure of Indian families that of multiple generations living under one roof, those who are capable of working are supporting more than themselves. They are supporting the elderly, the sick, the disabled and the children. That is a lot of pressure from your family and extended family to be a good provider. This can also lead young people to pursue an education in software development because it pays better than other jobs available in India. These individuals are saddled with the responsibility of supporting their entire extended family.<br /><br /><h3><b>Competition </b></h3><br />When companies are working on budgets and they need software developers the cost can be exuberant. Knowing that you can get a <a href="https://www.virtualemployee.com/service/hire-software-developers/?source=google&amp;medium=cpc&amp;keyword=%2Bindian%20%2Bsoftware%20%2Bdeveloper&amp;matchtype=b&amp;device=c&amp;campaign=software_development&amp;adgroup=software_developer_india_tier1&amp;pos=1t1&amp;net=g&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-IutxdX_3AIVA7jACh3bnwXsEAAYASAAEgLL5PD_BwE">software developer from India</a> for a fraction of the cost seems like a no-brainer. While it may be less expensive you might get what you pay for. Statistically Americans are overall more educated than Indians according to United Nations studies. In 2015 <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/education-ranks-271225-2015-11-03">India ranked 92</a><a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/education-ranks-271225-2015-11-03">nd</a> out of 145 countries in their overall education. While Indians were 11% better at math and logic than Americans, American were over 50% better at software development.<br /><br /><h3><b>Economics of India </b></h3><br />India missed the boat when it came to technological advances for many years and some people believe that these young people need to learn to code at a young age to be successful. India is not highly ranked in any industry, leaving their national infrastructure needing vast improvements. They are pushing people to learn software development, but they are leaving all other industries by the way side. For a country to be strong economically they need to have a wide variety of skills that can be <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2018/09/big-markets-for-outsourcing-coding.html" target="_blank">outsourced</a> as a service or products to other nations worldwide. If they continue to force young people into one of two career paths much of their existing economic system will be in dyer need of educated people to innovate and manage it.<br /><br /><h3><b>The Beef </b></h3><br />A common stereotype in the technology industry is that your US based job can easily be outsourced to India and for cheap. This is true, yet not true. Can the job be outsourced, well yes. But is it cheap? It depends on what standard you looking at. Will the software development be done for less money, yes. You may however need to have a highly qualified IT person verify that things are being done right and done well. A lot can be lost in translation even if speaking in ‘code’ is all the same language. The barrier can lead to lost time and misunderstandings and then to software problems.<br /><br /><h3><b>The Come Back</b> </h3><br />Indians have also made a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/11/powerful-indians-silicon-valley">positive impact on Silicon Valley</a> as well. While there are bad Indian software developers out there, there are also many good ones too! One of the best ways to tell between a good Indian software developer and a bad one is their education. If they attended college in America, they are likely more skilled and qualified at their job, than if they went to school in India.<br /><br /><b>Recap </b><br /><br />When looking to get a project completed it is always best to know the background on the company or individual you are hiring. If you want your project to be perfect, you will need to pay for the perfect <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2018/12/frameworks-you-need-to-know-right-now.html" target="_blank">software developer</a>, and they should have an education from America versus India. It is a simple way to verify what skill level you will be hiring without having to hire them and then find out. This is not saying a qualified person with an Indian education cannot do a good job, but it is a simple way to weed out possible poor software developers.<br /><br />If you are on a very tight budget and the work doesn’t have to be perfect, you can definitely save some money by working through developers in India. You might have to rework it a couple times, but you will likely still come under budget.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-81100942417435172672018-07-24T04:20:00.000-07:002019-06-24T03:00:57.814-07:00Technically Speaking These Jobs are HOT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X3_AfWE9JBM/W1cLRB7dd5I/AAAAAAAABfI/brYyWMWLOjk8J5SMLUSZtWaK32SwxLxdwCLcBGAs/s1600/Jobs%2Bin%2BTech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X3_AfWE9JBM/W1cLRB7dd5I/AAAAAAAABfI/brYyWMWLOjk8J5SMLUSZtWaK32SwxLxdwCLcBGAs/s400/Jobs%2Bin%2BTech.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Unemployment is low, I mean really low. Across the country there are more jobs than there are people to fill them. While this can fabulous news for employees, it’s not so great of news for employers. Trying to fill all the open positions is challenging and usually the excess work gets put on current employees or goes undone and one of the fastest growing employment markets is in technology.<br /><br />In the interconnected world through remote work and data share capabilities employees can work from anywhere in the world and fulfill jobs in different states or even countries.<br /><br /><h4><b>Analytics</b></h4><br />Business analytics, data analyst, data scientist whatever the company calls it, it is the same thing. Taking tons of raw data and turning it into useful information for management, investors, and potential investors. Without these numbers being pulled together routinely and systematically companies fly blind through their fiscal year wondering if things they are doing are adding value or detracting it.<br /><br />According to salary.com there are over 267 job titles with the match of analyst. Top Analytical Job titles: Business Analyst, Project Analyst, and Data Analyst.<br /><br /><h4><b>Developers</b></h4><br />Website developers, Mobile Developers, <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2018/08/why-are-there-so-many-software.html" target="_blank">Software Developers</a> etc if you can <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2018/06/holograms-on-your-phone.html" target="_blank">code and create</a> something that is useful to a company for its technological presence your talents are in short supply.<br /><br />According to salary.com there are only 19 job titles for types of developers. Top developer job titles are: Web Developer, Software Developer, and Software Engineer.<br /><br /><h4><b>Security</b></h4><br />The threat of cyber attack is real and companies are keenly aware of their technological vulnerability.&nbsp; Companies work through many different scenarios to try and prevent threats to their corporate database. Passwords being changed constantly, having rolling pins from a fab for each employee with secure access to information and 24/7/365 surveillance of their intellectual property. Having someone working to protect your business from attack may be vital to keeping your business going and safe.<br /><br />According to salary.com there are over 141 job titles for types of security jobs. Top security jobs are: Data Security Analyst, Information Security Manager, and Security Administrator.<br /><br /><h4><b>Management</b></h4><br />CIO, CTO, CSO etc. if the position is in charge of a technology department of some kind they are in high demand, from managers, directors to top officers in the company these individuals taking on the challenge of managing <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2018/06/how-ai-is-affecting-medical-field.html" target="_blank">technology</a> teams and ensuring the work is being done well comes with a high price tag for those willing to take on the responsibility.<br /><br />According to salary.com there are over 688 jobs titles for Technology Management positions. Top jobs titles are: Information Technology Director, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Security Officer.<br /><br /><h4><b>Help Desk </b></h4><br />Customer service experts, support desk, help desk, whoever you employ to take calls from customers who are having ‘technical difficulties’ these people are invaluable to your organization. They have to not only be customer friendly but technologically with it. They have to be able to talk people through programming, installing and do so under extreme stress from the customers on the other line. They have to be patient and understand that without their role in the organization returns of products or services would shoot through the roof!...<br /><br />According to salary.com there are only 31 job titles that match help desk. The top job titles for these positions are: Help Desk, Help Desk Support, Support Coordinator and Support Analyst.<br /><br />The companies with these openings are all over the country; there isn’t one area that has full employment for their technology jobs. This being said, employees know that if they want to move on to another job with another organization they likely can. The low unemployment rate can help employees gain certain benefits like <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2018/09/big-markets-for-outsourcing-coding.html" target="_blank">working remotely</a> or high wages from their employers. Their employers know that it cost time and money to replace them and if the employee is asking for a concession for their continued employment it is likely the company will try and oblige.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-14633195486488159872018-06-12T04:51:00.000-07:002019-06-24T03:05:29.596-07:00Holograms on Your Phone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w_lFjKnyAMI/XRCfv4UkLLI/AAAAAAAABmg/SOVnpMnDRngqAMp2CnV0ukQaD3lztbFvQCLcBGAs/s1600/holograms%2Bon%2Byour%2Bphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w_lFjKnyAMI/XRCfv4UkLLI/AAAAAAAABmg/SOVnpMnDRngqAMp2CnV0ukQaD3lztbFvQCLcBGAs/s400/holograms%2Bon%2Byour%2Bphone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Have you ever wanted to or given a virtual high five? Well you might be able to actually give your friend or family member a real one with the new LEIA 3D technology that is still being developed. How cool would that be!? You could physically reach out and touch someone on the other end of a call!<br /><br />This new developing technology can enhance life as we know it for those living far apart from one another, anyone watching shows or playing games, making presentations for work, or simply getting directions to your destination.<br /><br />Holographic technology from LEIA Corp, a spin off from Hewlett-Packard, is working to bring this new exciting experience to you. Allowing you to immerse yourself in 3D without the use of expensive equipment or bulky glasses. LEIA Corp believes that with this technology they will improve daily experiences to a more personal and beautiful experience.<br /><br /><h3><b>LEIA Corp Mission and Partner </b></h3><br />LEIA Corp <a href="https://www.leiainc.com/about-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">founders</a> of LEIA 3D are on a mission to make life more beautiful and to enrich everyone’s life. LEIA Corp was founded in 2014 by David Fattal, now the CEO, Zhen Peng, now the CTO, and Pierre-Emmanuel Evreux now the CFO. LEIA partnered with <a href="http://altice.net/sites/default/files/pdf/746887.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Altice</a> Group a technology and media corporation for a launch in Europe in 2016.<br /><br /><h4><b>How it is created </b></h4><br />LEIA 3D uses <a href="https://www.leiainc.com/lit-by-leia/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">diffractive lightfield backlighting</a> to enhance an existing LCD screen into 3D. Users will be able to switch seamlessly between the standard viewing and 3D viewing, without the use of glasses. While you won’t yet see a floating hologram above your phone’s screen, it will make the user experience more enhanced and personal with 3D.<br /><br /><h4><b>Where it could be used</b></h4><br /><a href="http://www.businesscloud.co.uk/magazine/get-ready-for-holograms-in-your-home-car-and-pocket" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3D holograms</a> could be used in cars for enhanced directions, on TV screens for a more interactive viewing of movies and <a href="https://www.leiainc.com/leia-loft/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video games</a>. They could also be used in businesses for presentations to engage their audiences. Instead of always saying, “ Now if you can imagine this here…” your business could actually show the clients rather than have them imagine.<br /><br /><h4><b>Who is using it now </b></h4><br />Android has a smart phone, <a href="http://www.red.com/hydrogen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hydrogen One</a> by Red which is between $1,00-$1,600 depending on which version is purchased set to <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/red-hydrogen-one" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">release</a> this summer with AT&amp;T and Verizon.<br /><br />LEIA Corp is constantly developing their LEIA 3D, and it is exciting to think of all the possibilities that may come with the development of this new technology!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-19280452498215692412018-06-10T05:11:00.000-07:002019-06-24T03:09:49.058-07:00How AI is Affecting the Medical Field<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJseKSmW-yE/Wx0VDRc8YLI/AAAAAAAACQU/IQGBkRVmVqYhyTd060YgSPQxbg1HFd_KwCLcBGAs/s1600/artificialin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJseKSmW-yE/Wx0VDRc8YLI/AAAAAAAACQU/IQGBkRVmVqYhyTd060YgSPQxbg1HFd_KwCLcBGAs/s400/artificialin.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Artificial Intelligence (AI) is currently one of the hottest trends in the world. AI can be found across industries, and in almost everything we use or create that has a tech element. AI is, to put it simply, the simulation of intelligence processes by machines – particularly computer systems. However, this hot technology is constantly evolving, and poses several risks to the world as we know it.<br /><br /><h3>What are the risks that come with AI?</h3><br />AI is taking over the tech world, and is being incorporated in many tools, systems, and software we use every day. However, many people are becoming skeptical and imploring that the tech industry takes a closer look at AI and the risks it poses. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla in Silicon Valley, is one of the biggest neigh-sayers when it comes to AI. <br /><br />Musk seems to believe that AI poses the startling question of whether machines will, eventually, take over the world. By <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/" target="_blank">programming</a> human-like technology into almost everything we use, it’s opening the door to some unsettling possibilities. Musk, in particular, is concerned that something “evil” will be created entirely accidentally.<br /><br />“We’re already cyborgs,” he says in an interview with Vanity Fair. “Your phone and your computer are extensions of you, but the interface is through finger movements or speech, which are very slow.”<br /><br />Musk believes that AI is only a few years away from being able to partially incorporate with our brains – whether that’s through medical devices or personal technology. And that thought is, indeed, terrifying when you think of the potential ramifications.<br /><br /><h4>How can AI improve or impact the medical field?</h4><br />Although creators and innovators the world over will need to be cautious as they continue to build AI tools that directly impact the lives of people, AI isn’t all doom-and-gloom. In fact, it is having a significantly positive impact on the medical field. As of now, AI in the medical field is built as an assist to human doctors and nurse practitioners. <br /><br />It allows for a thorough fact-gathering and analysis for more accurate diagnostics. It’s also creating systems that reduce the possibility for human error – ensuring appropriate and safe care is always being given by human doctors and nurse practitioners to patients. AI also opens up the opportunity for cost-efficient medical care. By reducing the total number of human employees that hospitals, doctors, and medical spaces need to pay to do admin work, the medical field is able to refocus their budget toward specialists and incredible medical professionals who are saving lives every day.<br /><br />Finally, AI is helping to create a safer, more precise operating room. With minimally invasive surgeries becoming increasingly necessary as we are increasingly hard on our bodies, surgical robots are able to provide assistance in making precise, small incisions and surgical maneuvers. This can help to reduce patient pain, simplify and speed up medical processes, and help medical teams to complete minimally invasive surgeries quickly and correctly so they can move a patient from surgery to recovery efficiently. This helps doctors and medical teams perform faster, better surgical procedures on every level – which means more patients can be treated in the same time span.<br /><br /><h4>How far are we from a point when we have a robo-doctor?</h4><br />Scientists are already working to combine AI with robotics. In fact, researchers in Texas have long been working on a robot that has a mind of its own. Although this may seem like some kind of science fiction movie come to life, it’s not surprising. The tech industry’s obsession with AI has sped up many researchers’ quest to incorporate it in new, exciting ways. <br /><br />But how far are we from having robo-doctors? The answer might surprise you. Right now, most robots are built with simple AI. They’re programmed to do nothing more than administrative tasks. However, the fact that some robotic technology has been programmed with AI within the medical space already, opens up the possibility that we’ll be seeing “robo-doctors” in the medical arena sooner than we think.<br /><br />In fact – some healthcare robots in 2017 were built with artificial intelligence that allowed them to perform domestic nurse functions like reminding you to take medication, or coaching patients through challenges associated with illness. So – we may be looking at robo-doctors taking over smaller medical tasks or working alongside human doctors sometime in the near future.<br /><br /><b>Will machines truly take over?</b><br /><br />It’s impossible to look into the future and know what’s going to happen. However, most people believe that because machines won’t always “get it right” and because of obvious ethical concerns, people will need to stay connected to most processes – particularly in the medical field. However, we can expect to see AI being incorporated into our systems – including medical services – in new and exciting ways.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-56545649336963199642018-05-10T05:53:00.002-07:002019-06-24T03:13:01.489-07:00From Fiction to Reality: Flying Cars Ahead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ye3jlaOFUzU/WvRAZbQTf7I/AAAAAAAABdg/BD3rhuNG_9gCAF7z9CDPzsBws1jzUmSWQCLcBGAs/s1600/Flying%2BCar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="600" height="145" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ye3jlaOFUzU/WvRAZbQTf7I/AAAAAAAABdg/BD3rhuNG_9gCAF7z9CDPzsBws1jzUmSWQCLcBGAs/s400/Flying%2BCar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5508a305-4a17-43ea-1b66-6b314914bdcb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #191919; font-family: &quot;arial&quot;; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></div>Ready or not flying cars aren’t just science fiction anymore they are coming to airspace near you. Whether you are ready for flying cars to make their debut or not, here they come and they could be here as early as 2020! That’s next year for those of you who are math experts!<br /><br /><h3><b>What Exactly is a Flying Car?</b></h3><br />The concept of a flying car is hardly new, whether or not you first saw the concept watching the kids cartoon the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jetsons</a> in 1962 or the Disney movie <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</a> in 1968. The structure of a flying car is still changing; one concept is that you can go from driving down the street to seamlessly flying in the air. Another design allows for a 5-10 minute transformation from car to flying car. Will the car take off like a helicopter or will it need to take off like a small airplane and need a runway? All of these designs are in the works and it’s not clear which design will win over consumers.<br /><br /><h4><b>Do We Need Flying Cars? </b></h4><br />Much of the rhetoric around flying cars is whether or not we actually need them, will it actually solve traffic jams and congestion or will it create new problems. Some believe that flying cars will make traffic jams a thing of the past, while others argue that putting the ordinary driver behind the wheel of a flying car is just asking for more trouble. Many of the developers have taken this very issue into consideration when it comes to designing their flying cars.<br /><br />Airbus is launching their <a href="https://futurism.com/airbus-electric-flying-taxis-are-set-to-take-to-the-skies-next-year/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Electric Flying Taxi’s</a> next year and these flying cars will have pilots when introduced to the public, but only to help consumers have confidence in their product, as the entire operation of the Flying Taxi can be controlled remotely. The Airbus Flying Taxi will take off from the ground much like a helicopter and will fly predetermined routes eliminating the concern of cars flying all over the sky and running into one another.<br /><br /><b>Which Flying Cars are Making Their Debut?</b><br /><br />Reality check it is 2018, no seriously and these flying cars are coming now!<br /><br /><a href="https://futurism.com/flying-car-design-finalized-arrive-2019/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAL-V</a> is already in testing and should be made available for purchase in 2019. While they are only making 90 of them their current price tag is $575,880 USD. They plan to launch a PAL-V Liberty Sport edition will only be $344,173 USD.<br /><br />VTOL by Airbus is already being worked into Uber’s plan for air taxis of the future by 2020, dubbed <a href="https://futurism.com/uber-plans-to-take-ridesharing-to-the-skies-meet-the-vtol-flying-car/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uber Elevate</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://futurism.com/toyota-is-making-a-flying-car-to-light-the-2020-olympic-torch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SkyDrive</a> by Toyota will light the 2020 Olympic Torn for its debut.<br /><br /><b>Making a Flying Car Fit in Today's World</b><br /><br />Ever wonder why it is taking so long to get flying cars out to the market? Well with any <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2017/09/top-10-futuristic-tech-products-that.html">new technology</a> that is planned to fly through the sky there are lots of regulations it has to pass to make sure it will be safe. We are now in a time where we can plan virtual flight plans that can correspond with one another to avoid midair collisions. If the design is too bulky it won’t fit on city streets, in parking spots, parking garages and garage in your home. So designers and developers have to work hand in hand to create a flying car that will fit into the parameters of a current size vehicle’s dimensions.<br /><br />The idea is that these Flying Cars will take you places, but that you will not be piloting them yourselves around the city airspace. This will help ensure that there are no midair collisions by people behind the wheel of their flying cars.<br /><br /><b>When Will Flying Cars Be Mainstream?</b><br /><br />The key factors that need to be met to make flying cars mainstream in todays world are: safety, design and affordability. If a company can ensure the safety of the people who use its product it will be widely accepted. If the design of the flying car will easily fit into the existing designs surrounding current automobiles acceptance will be easier for consumers to add a flying car to their lifestyle. If the price tag is right, where not only the super rich can afford to buy a flying car, the mainstream public can begin to buy into the <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/search/label/technology" target="_blank">new technology</a> rather than watch from the sidelines.<br /><br />Which design will win over the public for mass acceptance, the PAL-V, SkyDrive, VTOL or another flying car? Whoever wins mass acceptance will set the stage for all future flying cars.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-14286484901131960562018-03-26T04:36:00.001-07:002019-06-24T03:15:10.537-07:00What is HTTPS And Why is it Important to Have?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XInT0mBrq3U/WrjZmKzNGCI/AAAAAAAABck/EPif1-NyR_gFJ_EQxaIMhaHVDbZeuP4hQCLcBGAs/s1600/What%2Bis%2BHTTPS%2BAnd%2BWhy%2Bis%2Bit%2BImportant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="640" height="187" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XInT0mBrq3U/WrjZmKzNGCI/AAAAAAAABck/EPif1-NyR_gFJ_EQxaIMhaHVDbZeuP4hQCLcBGAs/s400/What%2Bis%2BHTTPS%2BAnd%2BWhy%2Bis%2Bit%2BImportant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The term HTTPS stands for Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol Secure, it’s a secure channel through which data is transferred between your computer browser tool and the site which you are visiting. The 'S’ at the end stands for Secure, meaning all connections between your search tool and the webpage are encrypted.<br /><br />Most popular browsers such as Chrome, Mozilla and Internet explorer display a padlock image next to the address bar, showing that a safe HTTPS link has been made.<br /><h3>How does HTTPS work?</h3>Typically, HTTPS websites use either Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt online exchanges. Both of these protocols make use of an 'asymmetric’ PKI or Public Key Infrastructure network. The system uses dual keys, a public and private one, to encrypt all communications over the internet. Consequently, anything that’s secured with a private-key is only accessible via a public key and vice versa.<br /><br />The private key of a HTTPS site should always be protected and be known by the owner alone. In most websites, it remains securely kept within the web server. Contrarily, the public-key is meant to be used by anyone who wants to decrypt data that was encoded using the private key.<br /><br /><h4><b>SSL Certificate Requirement</b></h4><br />When you make a HTTPS request on a website, the page will first relay its SSL Certificate to your search tool. This software carries the public-key required to start the safe browsing session.<br /><br />From this initial communication, your web browser and the site will then commence with the 'SSL handshake’, which involves the creation of mutual secret codes used to establish a safe link between your search tool and the website. When a trustworthy SSL Digital-Cert is applied for a HTTPS connection, visitors will view a padlock image in the browser’s address bar and once an Extended Validity Certificate is installed the address bar shall turn green.<br /><h4>How to get a SSL Certificate cheaply?</h4>There are various ways you can get affordable SSL certificates. First, you can refer online to reputable websites that list cheap SSL certificates which you can try. Such platforms allow you to compare the features of different cost-effective SSL certificates so as to get the best value for your money.<br /><br />Additionally, oftentimes it’s much cheaper to buy a new certificate rather than renewing an old one, this is because special offer coupons don’t usually apply to SSL renewals. While most cheap certificates will work well and are approved across popular web browsers, you should still refer with your SSL/hosting provider just to make sure.<br /><h3>Reasons why you should have HTTPS</h3>I) <b>Improved search engine rankings</b>. Google has already confirmed that they favor HTTPS websites over others. In fact, more than 30pct of the sites listed on their top page are 'Secure’ or encrypted.<br /><br />II) <b>Greater online security.</b> It protects web users’ information and your own personal data from cyber criminals.<br /><br />III) <b>It makes your website mobile-friendly</b>. Recently, Google developed the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) app to ensure web content loads quicker on mobile phones. However, the app requires users to have https before their <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/p/website-building-tutorial.html">website</a> can be optimized for mobile use.<br /><br />IV) <b>Improved conversion rates</b>. Statistics show that most internet users will only share personal information over the internet if the site is HTTPS. If it’s not secured they may express concern sharing their name, phone number or email address.<br /><br /><b>How Google Chrome views HTTPS</b><br /><br />As of July 2018, Chrome intends to label all HTTP sites as 'non-secure’. While the browser currently displays a neutral virtual icon, once the version 68 is launched it will caution visitors with a new indicator in the web-address bar.<br /><br />Over the recent years, Google has been urging users to keep off unencrypted sites but this so far has been their most impactful move. The Chrome team mentioned that this decision was based on increased https adoption. Approximately 81 of the 100 sites on the internet default to HTTPS, plus most of the traffic on Chrome is already encrypted.<br /><h4>HTTPS impact on SEO</h4>HTTPS can boost your <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html">search engine rankings</a>, particularly in cases where the quality signals emanating from two different web results are equal in most aspects. Generally, if your site is equal to your competitor’s in terms of content freshness, speed and title tags among other factors, Google will place it on top of the competitor’s page if it has https and the other one does not.<br /><br />In conclusion, https is a secure web communication protocol that can safeguard your private information from hackers. It can also help improve your rankings on search engines such as Google.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-28304229632218885072018-02-20T02:37:00.002-08:002019-06-24T03:17:53.252-07:00LiDAR Technology: Unveiling Endless Possibilities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZyEbX7BdVE/Wov6ckmb-FI/AAAAAAAABpg/H77PD-cE0VgW936cTFGUk8-7Z1YbvUvYwCLcBGAs/s1600/self-driving-car.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZyEbX7BdVE/Wov6ckmb-FI/AAAAAAAABpg/H77PD-cE0VgW936cTFGUk8-7Z1YbvUvYwCLcBGAs/s400/self-driving-car.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />LiDAR technology is changing the way we do everything – from driving cars to excavating ancient civilizations. But what is this new form of modern technology? And what opportunities is it truly presenting to the industry titans who seek to create a better tomorrow?<br /><br />LiDAR or Light Detection and Ranging is a way to use laser sensors to map their surrounding environment. The laser sensors use light waves to effectively measure the distance between surrounding objects.Of course, LiDAR 3D laser mapping is no new concept. The technology has been around since the 1960’s, and people have been using the technology to map geophysical distances since the 1980’s.<br /><br />Essentially, LiDAR technology sends lasers out into the space surrounding you – either above or below ground – and measures how long it takes for the laser to hit a nearby object in light speed. This information is used to build a 3D special model to gain a better understanding of a surrounding area.<br /><br /><h3>What is LiDAR used for today?</h3><br />Today, leaders across industries are using LiDAR technology for a variety of purposes. The technology is most commonly used in construction and surveying – to determine the mapping of built objects. The technology can sense everything from buildings to railways, and can help to create an accurate depiction of a specific landscape for reference.<br /><br />However, as the technology has become more advanced in recent years, it’s proven to have other important uses. The auto industry, for example, has started to use LiDAR technology in combination with several other systems<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/lidar-self-driving-cars-luminar-video/"> in the building of self-driving vehicles.</a> These vehicles use LiDAR technology to map surrounding areas and drive safely, while saving the information for later reference. Because the technology takes measurements of the surrounding area at light-speed, it allows self-driving vehicles to respond quickly and accurately to changes in the driving landscape.<br /><br />LiDAR technology is also used to map the earth’s surface – both above and below sea level. The updated version of this technology has allowed geoscientists to study previously unmapped (or inaccurately mapped) areas. This allows emergency responders to get a better idea of a shoreline, air pilots and military personnel to better see the geography of the land they fly over, and more.<br /><br />Most recently, LiDAR technology has been used by<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/world/americas/mayan-city-discovery-laser.html"> archaeologists to uncover previously unknown Mayan civilizations</a> under a thick cover of jungle foliage. A team of pilots flew over the area and, using LiDAR technology, uncovered an undocumented Mayan settlement.<br /><br />As they continued to investigate, it became clear that the civilization was even more settled than they could have imagined. Although it seems outlandish to claim that any inch of the earth’s surface remains unexplored by archaeologists – this is a perfect example of a time where we, as a human race, have been unable to explore our history. Without knowing where to look, we could be missing several more ancient civilizations that could provide fascinating historical insight that we would have previously missed.<br /><br />Through the use of LiDAR technology, archaeologists are able to create an accurate depiction of entire civilizations before performing on-the-ground excavation. This allows them the safety and certainty of exploring the right areas in the jungle, and allows them to use less man power – helping to keep more people safe, and reduce project expenses.<br /><br /><h4>What companies and organizations use LiDAR? </h4><br />There are several companies creating LiDAR technology solutions for use across industries. Some are startups like<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/11/lidar-autonomous-sensor-startup-ouster-announces-27m-series-a-led-by-auto-powerhouse-cox-enterprises/"> Ouseter</a>, who is developing LiDAR-based tools specifically for the international auto industry.<br /><br />However, many preestablished organizations are also using the new and improved LiDAR technology in their products. For example,<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/toyota-luminar-lidar-self-driving-car/"> Toyota recently started using LiDAR technology</a> in their vehicles to sense surrounding physical objects and create a safer driving experience. Other organizations, like the<a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lidar.html"> National Ocean Service</a>, promote the use of LiDAR technology to create a safer, more informed future. However, as time goes on, it’s expected that many more industries and organizations will make use of this incredible technology. <br /><br /><b>LiDAR Offers Future Opportunities</b><br /><br />Despite all of the amazing opportunities that LiDAR technology has created for us, we have still only scratched the surface of possibility. Archaeology and construction could be made infinitely more accurate and easier, while using less funds and man power to complete projects. Emergency rescue missions could have the opportunity to better understand the landscape of a dense forest when searching for lost hikers. We could potentially use the technology, at some point in the future, to remove the need for human-operated vehicles of all kinds.<br /><br />The opportunities that LiDAR currently offers are truly incredible. However, the unharnessed potential that this <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/" target="_blank">technology</a> has is what’s truly awe-inspiring. Scientists and technology specialists around the world are already working with LiDAR tech to create new tools and solutions across multiple industries, and it’s exciting to think of what other possibilities will be made available to us as time goes on. Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-6766265972559268852017-12-06T04:57:00.000-08:002019-06-24T06:10:09.197-07:0010 Things We Just Don’t Do Anymore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ArB7z3WLvY/XRDLkET3nBI/AAAAAAAABms/wBpPFus7yHAFlyy1h2oQSb6MR9A_jrH9gCLcBGAs/s1600/blockbuster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ArB7z3WLvY/XRDLkET3nBI/AAAAAAAABms/wBpPFus7yHAFlyy1h2oQSb6MR9A_jrH9gCLcBGAs/s1600/blockbuster.jpg" /></a></div><br />Each decade has its own set of social norms. For example, in the 80’s, it was socially acceptable to wear crazy shoulder pads and have big hair! In all seriousness, though, these “social norms” that we all accept during certain periods of time also translate into actions – or, things we do. Over time, these things that we do get replaced with other socially “normal” things to do. Usually, it’s because technology or accessibility increases or makes certain businesses obsolete. Don’t believe us? Look at these ten things everyone used to do all the time that we just don’t do anymore.<br /><br /><h4>1. Renting Movies</h4><br />Businesses like <a href="http://www.blockbuster.com/">Blockbuster</a>, <a href="http://www.redbox.com/">Redbox</a>, or <a href="https://www.familyvideo.com/">Family Video</a> might still be seen – but this is incredibly rare. With the ability to stream television and movies online to any device essentially takes the need for brick-and-mortar movie rental locations away. While it used to be normal to head to the video store to pick out a movie or two to watch that weekend, we don’t do this anymore.<br /><br /><h4>2. Buying VHS Tapes</h4><br />Buying VHS for any reason is the way of the past. Yet, for a long time, this was the only way to watch movies at home, to save family videos, or to record a show on TV you didn’t want to miss. How many people do you know who still have an old stack of VHS’s gathering dust in a closet somewhere? Now-a-days we’re not even sure where you’d be able to find VHS tapes for sale? This method of entertainment viewing has gone the way of the dodo<br /><br /><h4>3. Transfer Money at a Bank</h4><br />Even just a decade or two ago, transferring money at a bank was the only way people transferred money either locally or abroad. Unfortunately, banks often carry hidden fees with each transfer and sometimes don’t provide the best exchange rates available. Now, most people use online-only transfer services like TransferWise to transfer money. These online organizations have low or no fees, are always transparent with how much they’re charging you for each transfer, and always offer the most up-to-date exchange rates. No wonder most people don’t go to the bank for money transfers anymore<br /><br /><h4>4. Memorizing Phone Numbers</h4><br />Before we all carried one form of smart phone or another, the only way to ensure that you’d be able to get ahold of someone was to memorize their phone number. Many people carried pocket-sized phone books just in case they needed to jot a new acquaintance’s number down. The need to memorize phone numbers is no longer pressing – our smart phones save phone numbers and can even assign names and information to each contact based on content that’s gathered from your email or other mobile applications. Much easier than memorizing each important phone number in your life!<br /><br /><h4>5. Sending Letters</h4><br />While it’s still nice to receive a hand-written note occasionally, it’s more common to shoot someone a text or send an email if you need to communicate with them. Writing and sending hand-written letters is considered a lost artform now – with many groups who focus on reinstating the old-idea of pen pals cropping up around the world.<br /><br /><h4>6. Carrying a Pager</h4><br />Before cell phones were a part of everyday life, pagers were the only way to let someone know you needed to get a hold of them if they were out and about or not near a landline phone. We don’t know anybody who carries a pager anymore.<br /><br /><h4>7. Recording TV Shows on VHS</h4><br />If you missed a show you wanted to see, you use to record it on a VHS tape. Now, we can save it to our recording device on our TV or stream it online after the fact.<br /><br /><h4>8. Go to the Mall Frequently</h4><br />Last minute Christmas gifts? A new pair of running shoes? Whenever you needed something, you’d head to the mall. While malls are still around, most people do their shopping online. With most stores offering free expedited shipping, there isn’t really a need to drive out and shop in person.<br /><br /><h4>9. Carry Cash</h4><br />People use to carry cash or spare change in case they needed to make a phone call at a phone booth, pay someone back for a meal, contribute to a coworker’s birthday cake fund, etc. However, there isn’t really a need to carry cash anymore. Quick pay services are now available through banking applications or third-party applications such as <a href="https://venmo.com/">Venmo</a>. <br /><br /><h4>10. Keep a Map Handy</h4><br />Everyone use to keep a map in the car or house to help them navigate around. But with maps on our phones and other devices physical paper maps aren’t as common as they once were. Most people don’t even know how to read them!<br /><br />Isn’t it crazy how many things we use to do that we just don’t do anymore? It’s amazing how much things change over the course of just a few years. While some of these traditions might have been convenient, and we may miss some of the old ways of doing things, it’s also nice to move forward into a new, more tech-motivated time!Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-19511573752448338112017-09-11T07:34:00.002-07:002019-06-24T06:13:19.498-07:00Top 10 Futuristic Tech Products that will Blow You Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGGOWpdEo-0/Wbae-FD6NGI/AAAAAAAABAE/Bv9As4LJAbs3PfnWvJ_7YQ0aPhV7WDZuwCLcBGAs/s1600/ablupload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGGOWpdEo-0/Wbae-FD6NGI/AAAAAAAABAE/Bv9As4LJAbs3PfnWvJ_7YQ0aPhV7WDZuwCLcBGAs/s400/ablupload.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Today’s world is becoming increasingly tech-focused. As a result, there are many new products that are currently being released, or are in the process of being created soon. These new tech products will certainly change life as we know it. They are useful in many different industries – from transportation to healthcare to home building. It’s exciting to look at these new pieces of tech and to think: If this is “new” now, what will the future be like? How much more technologically advanced can we become? <br /><br /><h4>1. New and Improved Prosthetics</h4><br /><a href="https://actu.epfl.ch/news/amputee-feels-in-real-time-with-bionic-hand/">Prosthetics</a> are now being created that can move and adjust just as your normal limb would. But what if a prosthetic existed that could hypothetically take the place of your actual limb? The prosthetics that are currently being invented are sensitive to touch and heat, just as your ordinary hand, arm, foot, or leg would be. They are intended to feel and exert different pressure levels, as well. <br /><br /><h4>2. Hovercrafts</h4><br />It feels like every time you turn around there is a new update to transportation – whether it’s a fancy new car with voice activated technology, or a high-speed underground train that will effectively replace air or car travel. However, <a href="http://aerofex.com/theaerox/">hovercrafts</a> could very soon be on our horizon, as well. These vehicles aren’t exactly hovercrafts. Instead, they’re a vehicle that allows for low-altitude flight for fast and efficient travel. They’re said to ride like a motorcycle for both on and off-road experiences. We don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty awesome version of a hovercraft to us.<br /><br /><h4>3. Jetpacks</h4><br /><a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/i-want-to-buy-a-jetpack/">Jetpacks</a> will no longer be something you see in sci-fi movies. Of course, right now they’re only available to qualified buyers, but we assume that before too long they’ll be available for the masses.<br /><br /><h4>4. Self-driving Trucks</h4><br />Self-driving trucks have been on the horizon for a while now, and they could potentially have a dramatic impact on the transportation industry and the world economy. <br /><br /><h4>5. Coffee Energy</h4><br />We’ve heard of wind energy, we’ve heard of corn being used for energy – but coffee energy? If you think about it, it makes sense. Coffee beans are an enormous source of untapped energy. <a href="http://www.bio-bean.com/">Bio-Bean</a> is working to use clean tech to process recycled, used coffee grounds into biofuels and biochemicals. Not a bad idea!<br /><br /><h4>6. Advanced Transplants</h4><br />Transplanting organs is a common medical practice. But what about an entire portion of your body – like your head? It sounds crazy, but <a href="https://youtu.be/_EHCHv5u3O4">Sergio Canavero</a> is a neurosurgeon from Italy strongly believes that head transplants are in the very near future. He believes that the technology is there, and that through the use of a special blade and polymer, doctors and surgeons could work to perform head transplants and regrow spinal cord nerves. <br /><br /><h4>7. AR or VR in Home Building and Construction</h4><br />Some of the best architects in the world are still locked in to building in their home country, or else relocating to a faraway location for their next project. <a href="http://www.builderonline.com/products/6-home-building-technologies-of-the-future_o">This won’t be the case anymore</a> with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in the world of building and construction. Professional architects, builders, and construction firms, will soon be able to work virtually in real time using VR or AR headsets.<br /><br /><h4>8. Increasingly Advanced Robo-Advising</h4><br />Robo-advisors have already evolved at an astonishing rate. They started as a lowly form of investment management or portfolio rebalancing. Now they can create customized investment strategies for individuals based on increasingly complex algorithms. Soon they will likely be able to provide all forms of financial planning – from retirement savings advice to debt management to tax mitigation for high income earners.<br /><br /><h4>9. Floating Farms</h4><br />There is only so much physical space on this planet – and yet our population continues to grow. Farmers are essentially stuck. They can’t feasibly expand their farm land without also reducing the amount of living space for people. It seems like an impossible dilemma – how do you continue to feed a growing population while limiting the amount of space there is to grow food and keep animals? The answer may be found <a href="https://youtu.be/KLdCO1lmO4o">in floating farms</a>. The architecture would be complex, but this would essentially mean farms would exist in the sky and be operated by a solar panel.<br /><br /><h4>10. Worldwide Internet Access</h4><br />Big wigs such as <a href="https://youtu.be/G5GpGOt2Qig">Elon Musk and Richard</a> Branson are currently working to provide free wi-fi to the world. This would essentially level the playing field when it came to access of information, tech advancements, and much more. It would also make global communication much easier.<br /><br />The world is evolving, and technology is evolving with it. It is so exciting to see new technologies being developed. Even more intriguing still is to see where these new technologies will take us as a global culture.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-73712280944589898762017-07-16T02:46:00.001-07:002019-06-24T06:33:39.263-07:007 New Medical Technologies That Will Amaze You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AiCtbE_Dh5k/WWs2VuZYA-I/AAAAAAAAA6U/XLMwPfVvEbQ9WAgXhpD6nPZMzG4zWN1OACLcBGAs/s1600/microscope-275984_640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AiCtbE_Dh5k/WWs2VuZYA-I/AAAAAAAAA6U/XLMwPfVvEbQ9WAgXhpD6nPZMzG4zWN1OACLcBGAs/s400/microscope-275984_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Medical technology has always been cutting edge as it develops over time. We’re constantly feeling amazed by the new products, medicines, and capabilities that seem to be announced every other day. It’s especially exciting as we look ahead to a future where these new technologies could limit injury, cure disease, ease pain, and simplify medical procedures – like complex surgeries.<br /><br />The following breakthroughs in medical technology are sure to amaze you. We want to live in a world where these new technologies are used regularly and with success – especially should we ever need them in case of a medical emergency!<br /><br />Check out our list of the seven most incredible medical technologies:<br /><br /><h4>1. Virtual Reality </h4><br />Virtual reality seems to be all the rage when it comes to video games or other, less serious, uses. However, virtual reality devices are now being developed to help medical students better learn different procedures. This new way of using VR is incredibly exciting, especially because the medical students entering the field now will be trained and ready to use all the new types of technology that are being released and learned by more seasoned medical professionals. VR will help them get a leg up and enter the workforce with a more complete education. <br /><br />View <a href="http://medicalfuturist.com/top-vr-companies-healthcare/">companies dealing with medical VR here</a>.<br /><br /><h4>2. Food Scanners</h4><br />While not quite as exciting as Virtual Reality tools for medical students, food scanners from companies like <a href="http://tellspec.com/en/">Tellspec could literally save lives</a>. What’s even better? They can be used by everybody – even you! These scanners connect to a mobile app and help you to scan food in a bowl or on a plate to load a detailed report on the food’s health statistics and ingredients. For people who are trying to get healthy, this tool will help to simplify their fitness journey. But for people with severe or life threatening allergies, this tool is a total game changer. They’ll be able to completely eliminate the potential to eat something that could cause them harm.<br /><br /><h4>3. 3D Bioprinting</h4><br />Bioprinting is <a href="https://youtu.be/s3CiJ26YS_U">a fascinating process</a>. Right now, companies are already printing organ tissues for testing and soon they’ll be able to print full organs. The medical industry will probably first use those printed organs for testing, but someday soon we could be looking at printing organs for transplant purposes. This would completely alter the way organ donor processes work, and could save so many lives.<br /><br /><h4>4. Augmented Reality</h4><br />Augmented Reality is similar to Virtual Reality, but it would have a slightly different purpose. Augmented Reality would probably still be used as an educational tool, but it would help medical students practice dissections or surgeries without requiring practice organs and it would completely skip the stinky formaldehyde scent that they should deal with while in lab. It’s a win-win! <a href="http://medicalfuturist.com/augmented-reality-in-healthcare-will-be-revolutionary/">More info with examples</a>.<br /><br /><h4>5. Bioabsorbable Stents</h4><br />For those of you who aren’t familiar, a stent is used to treat a coronary artery blockage. Usually after surgery, metal stents are left in for the rest of a patient’s life. Sometimes these stents cause future blood clot problems, or post-surgical complications, which can be a dramatic problem for heart surgery patients. However, bioabsorbable stents are changing how things are done. The bioabsorbable stent is designed to simply disappear, or reabsorb, into the surgery patient’s body after surgery. It’s made of a naturally dissolving polymer, and over the next two years or so it is absorbed back into the body kind of like dissolvable sutures.<br /><br /><h4>6. Robotic Surgery</h4><br />This technology is already being used in some modern surgeries. Essentially, it removes the need for the surgeon to be in the surgery theatre with their patients. The entire operation is done using robotic tools that are controlled from a separate space. This helps eliminate human error in surgery, and it also provides a more sterile environment for the surgery to take place, both of which are very good things. Example: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intuitive_Surgical">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intuitive_Surgical</a>.<br /><br /><h4>7. Wireless Brain Sensors</h4><br />This amazing bio absorbable device will help doctors to measure different temperatures and pressures within the human brain without having to schedule a removal surgery for the brain sensors since they reabsorb into the human body. Fewer surgeries is always a good thing because that means fewer complications and fewer chances for a problem to occur as a result of the surgery – especially with one as important as a brain surgery!<br /><br />Modern science is miraculous, and technology just keeps expanding and improving to keep pace with our constantly changing, complex medical needs. This technology has so much potential to save lives, and to extend both the length and quality of our lifetimes in this world. If any of these technologies seemed applicable to your medical situation, keep an eye out for them to become more mainstream in the medical world, or ask your doctor if they’d be a possible option for your specific medial case moving forward. Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-49134243644372352022017-03-14T06:27:00.000-07:002019-06-24T06:42:12.396-07:00How Technology Impacts Electronic AppliancesTechnology has been changing our life rapidly in the last 20-25 years.<br /><br />All our appliance are using better technology and are manufactured to be suitable as a Smart Home devices.<br /><br /><b>Once Upon a Time</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w4b9o8D5reY/WMfwRiTyYyI/AAAAAAAAA4A/DcCYdGxxta8sftMaMmMMuGk6nFvWy8PgQCLcB/s1600/stove-1728506_640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w4b9o8D5reY/WMfwRiTyYyI/AAAAAAAAA4A/DcCYdGxxta8sftMaMmMMuGk6nFvWy8PgQCLcB/s320/stove-1728506_640.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />I remember that when I was young, when my dad invited a handyman to repair our oven or refrigerator, the handyman knew how to handle all the appliances at the house. They were all working based on mechanical mechanism. Now all the new appliances are working as a small computer, based on electronic mechanism, like the touch technology we use in our smart phones. Today you need a computer geek for repairing your home appliances.<br /><br /><h4>Smart Home Is Knocking on Our Doors</h4><br />How will our future house will look like? How would our future kitchen will be designed?<br /><br />Soon, all of us will be able to control our refrigerator, our oven, dishwasher and even our laundry machine by a Smart Home system. Every electronic appliance in our house will be based on a smart computer and we will be able to control it using our voice.<br /><br />The industry is going towards smart product. This process is like the one the communication industry experienced - the smart phones revolution.<br /><br />Smart houses are already existing and all electronic devices are connected to a Wi-Fi or to a similar technology. This way it allows its residents to be able to use all the appliances without any effort at all.<br /><br />A good example for that is Alexa Smart Home system. Below you can find the total revenues in the last couple of years, and the revenue expected in the years to come:<br /><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 157px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col> <col style="mso-width-alt: 3401; mso-width-source: userset; width: 70pt;" width="93"></col> </colgroup><tbody><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt; text-align: center; width: 48pt;" width="64"><b>Year</b></td> <td class="xl65" style="border-left: medium none; text-align: center; width: 70pt;" width="93"><b>Revenue ($M)</b></td> </tr><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; text-align: center;">2014</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">$24</td> </tr><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; text-align: center;">2015</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">$384</td> </tr><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; text-align: center;">2016</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">$1,336</td> </tr><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; text-align: center;">2017</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">$2,222</td> </tr><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; text-align: center;">2018</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">$4,150</td> </tr><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; text-align: center;">2019</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">$6,615</td> </tr><tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; text-align: center;">2020</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">$11,132</td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-echo-alexa-add-11-billion-in-revenue-by-2020-2016-9">http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-echo-alexa-add-11-billion-in-revenue-by-2020-2016-9</a><br /><br />As you can see, this phenomenon of Smart Homes is spreading fast, and is expected to accelerate in the near future. However, at the meanwhile, until we will be able to use it, we can think of trying standalone semi-smart devices and not as a whole Smart Home system.<br /><br /><b>Do Not Jump the Gun</b><br /><br />There is a vast variety of product and companies. Different kind of qualities and prices. A lot of room the get confused thanks to the overwhelming technology and spend more money and time than we actually need.<br /><br /><h3>How to Choose the Best Appliances for Me?</h3><br />What can you do to save money when thinking about getting new appliances with advanced technology? Follow these recommendations:<br /><br /><h4>Buy new products with manufacturer warranty:</h4><br />The technology behind these appliances is developing fast. Buying a product with the newest technology will allow you to get the most out of it. It is important to note that sometimes it is worthwhile to try a previous version as well.<br /><br />New appliances with new technology are based on economic and more “green” systems and will help you save other costs like electricity and water.<br /><br />New appliances usually have a manufacturer warranty for 1-5 years, which can bring you a little peace of mind.<br /><br />Consult an expert before buying a new device to suit it for your needs. You can find an expert at the shopping center near your home or online. Make sure you can differentiate between a salesman and an expert.<br /><br /><h4>Ask someone you trust like friends, neighbours or colleagues</h4><br />If your mother has it, your neighbour has it, and all you friends from the office have it, it is probably working well or at least it’s not too bad. When you’ll start asking people you’ll find out need that you didn’t think of.<br /><br /><h4>Read reviews and compare between different companies</h4><br />Do an online research and try to understand which device is the right one for you. Investing 5-10 minutes looking for the right device, at the right place, manufactured by the right company can save you a lot of money and time, now and in the future.<br /><br /><h4>Use home warranty companies</h4><br />Home warranty companies are offering different types of insurance plan for your home appliances and more. It will save you time and hassle in the future, even after the manufacturer's warranty is over. <a href="http://www.reviewhomewarranties.com/">ReviewHomeWarranties.com</a> is a great place to start looking for the best home warranty plan.<br /><br />Buy appliances online - refrigerators, gas fireplace, electric water heater tank, air conditioner, microwave and more are usually can be found cheaper when bought online.<br /><br /><b>Short Summary</b><br /><br />Buying new appliances in our days can be quite confusing. It is obvious that in the near future all appliances and devices will be controlled by a smart system. It will influence the way we manage our home. However, at the meanwhile, until those smart systems will be more reachable, we can use standalone semi-smart devices.<br /><br />When one wants to purchase these appliances, he or she should follow the steps mentioned above - compare and review, do an online research and purchase the device online, consult experts and friend and use a home warranty plan for your peace of mind. This way you’ll be able to save time and money and a lot of headache in the future.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-48135408166078381332016-05-04T02:04:00.001-07:002019-06-24T06:47:20.767-07:00How Technology is Disrupting Lifestyle in 2016:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/121586417@N08/13559797705/in/photolist-mEevrB-9P2SS1-c39v6Y-cdnZXQ-cqEiAm-hZLGR-tdcqNN-tv4WRU-4PmaeR-EgoUL-a1VHsX-dASFyx-4PqqaL-fakSAu-5iJeMC-9kijuq-dWHYTo-crD4ao-9NZ3np-4Pfc4w-5XicUA-8FipaZ-LN4DK-cdxYCs-mG5e7M-kDQwcg-bo1R92-5uJAoe-9NZ3iX-5BuyeX-9gWgTb-67d2WJ-8tXVig-bo1RWk-dAVeCJ-5iJeQd-dAQBfD-dzkUGb-e4SthJ-qvNpmr-5iHjaA-8Awb6L-8J1khi-bhHvwx-6cwx2o-acjC7c-vxi-6Evq3k-mG6WrQ-9QmUyn" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="266" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/13559797705_ebe4ac9766_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />The recent surge in technology related to the internet is that society is struggling how to maintain a balance between these wonderful innovations and their quality of life that was at one-time technology-free.<br /><br />Here are several ways that technology has interrupted lifestyle in ways that one would not expect: <br /><br /><b>It Interrupts Business</b>: This is rather entertaining at first glance, but, technology ironically does interrupt business. If a cell phone rings during an important business meeting or if the entry level employees are playing on social media instead of working, then this disrupts the flow of commerce. What makes the debate fascinating is that these technologies were invented with the purpose of making life easier; however, they have also had repercussions due to just how accessible all of these innovations are to the consumer. <br /><br /><b>It Interrupts Education</b>: Schools have had major issues with cell phones, tablets, and laptops because legally, they cannot touch them. That being said, these devices are distracting students from the purpose of attending school in the first place. In colleges, many professors have made a no laptop policy, for example, but then the students are hiding their smartphones. The price of being connected all the time is a great one because we never have a break from the technology sector. <br /><br /><b>It Disrupts Family Life</b>: This is the major one because one’s work, in theory, never leaves them. By allowing e-mail to be in smartphones, we have opened up a portal that many would like to close because one never leaves the stress of the office. While this has allowed more global professional positions to be possible due to increased accessibility, it has also disrupted family time since the office now never leaves the employee. There have been many debates how to combat this, but ultimately, the price has already been paid by adding e-mail to smart phones. <br /><br /><b>It Disrupts Government Institutions and Laws</b>: The classic example with this is Uber. Uber has been very disruptive to unions for taxi drivers around the globe. Granted, this is a change that we all wanted due to the unsatisfactory service provided by taxis for decades, it still causes governments to have to answer to the union’s complaints. This is why Uber has been outlawed and protested so many times; however, in the end, Uber ends because the consumers want Uber. <br /><br /><b>Privacy Laws</b>: Technology has also had a major implication on privacy laws. Particularly in the legal profession, there have been many cases regarding the drafting of case law or legislation related to digital privacy rights and issues. This is going to be a major issue going forward that the local governments are going to have to navigate because it disrupts the previous issues we had with confidentiality and privacy. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dpcA4t9KhxI/Vym76nfcnmI/AAAAAAAAAzY/ZxokMfuDKUQi9eQl_XSjkHHpxY0Eep9aACLcB/s1600/ios-1091302_640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dpcA4t9KhxI/Vym76nfcnmI/AAAAAAAAAzY/ZxokMfuDKUQi9eQl_XSjkHHpxY0Eep9aACLcB/s320/ios-1091302_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Granted, these technological developments have been sensational. What becomes the issue is how the institutions of society is going to catch up to combat the issues caused by all of these wonderful innovations. <br /><br />Apps have been a wonderful addition to the technological world that also are a great asset to those who are not that technologically gifted.<br /><br />Here are my recommendations of the seven <b>best Apps for non-techs: </b><br /><br /><b>Vivino</b>: Vivino is an incredible App for wine lovers around the world. What Vivino does is that is allows you to take a photo of your favorite wine label and store it for later use. The App also shows you different food pairing recommendations with that particular wine. Additionally, the photo you will take shows you the average price and which years are the best to try. Lastly, you are able to add your friends to share the wines. Essentially, Vivino is the Facebook for the wine lover and it is a great idea! <br /><br /><b>Cash</b>: Cash is a great way to get your money quickly from point A to point B. For example, if you were paid in one bank account and need to pay an automatic payment in another bank account. Cash allows you transfer money to yourself or to a friend immediately. This App also has no transaction fees, which saves on ATM fees and banking fees in general. <br /><br /><b>Uber</b>: Even though Uber is controversial, its utility for the non-techy savvy individual surely is not. Uber is becoming available all over the world and has a variety of car quality options for you to chose from. What Uber also does is allow you to split a taxi ride with your friends that includes the tip. Essentially, Uber limits the cash from the entire transaction, which makes it much easier to get where you need to go without making sure that you have exact change. <br /><br /><b>Lyft</b>: Lyft, although a similar idea to Uber, is also great for the non-technologically savvy person. Lyft many times is more affordable than Uber because they have regular discounts on their rides that they text you about. Additionally, Lyft has a ride share option that allows those carpooling to work to save a great deal on their transportation. Lyft is a fast-growing competitor of Uber that is absolutely worth a try. <br /><br /><b>Spotify</b>: Spotify is available all over the world and allows the user to have access pretty much any song in the world for only $9.99 per month. With the Premium membership one can make playlists, listen to any album, and have a radio station. Spotify also allows you to explore new music as well. That being said, Spotify has also revolutionized going to the gym because the App has a pace monitor for runners that selects the music based on the pace one is running. This App is truly sensational and it is easy to use for someone who is not tech-savvy. <br /><br /><b>OfferUp</b>: OfferUp is the ultimate way to sell items that you may not want; however, it is particularly beneficial for furniture when you are moving. For example, if I listed my sofa on OfferUp for $100, people could make bids on it. If you like the price, you accept and the person comes to get the sofa. OfferUp is entirely free and connects buyers and sellers in a delightful way. <br /><br /><b>Yelp</b>: Yelp is a wonderful App for two reasons. The first, is that you can look up any ethnicity of food in the locale where you are and see where the best restaurant is. Additionally, if you are unsure what kind of food you want, you can look up restaurants near you and see what you are interested in. This is great for the traveler in a new city looking to try something different, but is also great for the local looking to expand their horizons. <br /><br />Apps are a wonderful addition to the technological world. Many of these Apps are targeting those who are not very advanced with technology. Thus, it is recommended to see how these Apps could benefit you in your day-to-day life and you may be quite pleasantly surprised. Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-17380133093868139712015-12-07T06:54:00.000-08:002019-06-24T06:49:31.388-07:00Mobile Apps – History, Present, Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1VdaRJXl3G0/VmWcE775b8I/AAAAAAAAAU0/mg1YK3uH9vY/s1600/smartphone-381237_640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1VdaRJXl3G0/VmWcE775b8I/AAAAAAAAAU0/mg1YK3uH9vY/s400/smartphone-381237_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />In 1983 a certain Steve Jobs giving a conference speech in ‘Aspen U.S outlined his vision of software download where software would be downloaded over phone lines with no need for physical distribution methods , the first Macintosh had still yet to be launched but Steve Jobs as ever the technological visionary had envisioned the future ‘app store’.32 years on from his ‘Aspen speech and apps are so ubiquitous they seem an almost indispensable part of everyday life, but the path to the modern app has been a circuitous one demanding technological developments and innovation from numerous sources of which Apple played a leading but not sole. <br /><br />In a sense the first apps on a ‘mobile’ device can be traced back to the games snake, pong and tic- tac-toe found on the<a href="http://www.vintagemobilephones.com/Motorola_DynaTAC_Series.html"> Motorola DynaTAC 8000X</a>, the first commercial phone launched in ‘83 which resembled and was often nicknamed the ‘brick’. A break-through in mobile communications, this unwieldy device also demonstrated via its simple games that a cell phone could be more than just a means for communication but could also be a mode for entertainment.<br /><br />Further development came down the line with the PSIOn range of handheld computers (PDAs) using the EPOC operating system, 7 years on from the first mobile handset these small hand held computers came with a number of user programs including a word processor and diary. Around the same time Palm was launching its rival handheld personal device the Palm Pilot containing similar office style ‘apps’ to the PSIOn but accessible via a Gui screen – a precursor to the modern touchscreen smartphone.<br /><br /><h4><b>Market Explosion</b></h4><br />The early ‘90s saw an explosion in mobile phone take up and usage, phones were now smaller, cheaper and mass market but this competition whilst driving down costs and enabling mobile communication to become mass market actually stunted app innovation, with manufacturers not willing to reveal their proprietary technology to 3rd parties.<br /><br />The mid ‘90s saw the inception and rise of the World Wide Web but mobile phones started to get left behind, with websites using technology and U.I principles including JavaScript, flash and high resolutions that phones couldn’t support. Out of this need to bring the WWW to mobile was borne <a href="http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/WAP">wireless application protocol or WAP for short</a>. WAP sites served up pages written in Wireless MarkUp Language a stripped down form of HTML, suitable for the limited processing power of mid ‘90s mobile devices.<br /><br />WAP sites were slow and cumbersome, typing a URL via a numeric keypad on a small phone was onerous whilst sites didn’t take into account individual phone sizes. In addition to the many technical drawbacks, many WAP portals operated by the networks restricted access to their preferred content distributors which users disliked. WAP ultimately failed but it still heralded the start of ‘web browsing’ on a mobile handset and established the important principle of an open environment.<br />Evolution to the ‘mobile app’ continued with the development of cellular technology, first with 1G and then with the 2G cellular network. The cellular networks brought about the first ‘smartphones’, with the digital data transmission enabled by the 2G network allowing phones to carry many of the modern features which form the bedrock of modern apps.<br /><br /><h4><b>Market Evolution</b></h4><br />Evolution finally turned to revolution in ’07 with the first iPhone featuring a touch screen loaded with a number of pre-set apps. One year later and the Apple store launched allowing iPhone users to download apps directly to their phone and for independent developers to easily access and install apps.<br /><br />Since ’08 the app ecosystem has thrived, there are now estimated to be over 138 million app downloads every year on the apple and google play stores, with an estimation of 268 million by 2017. Users now spend 80% of their time on apps compared to mobile web.<br /><br />Whatever your online need there is an app which can satisfy it, from the simple functional such as weather apps or currency converters, to the worryingly bizarre such as an app that can retrace your steps after and alcoholic blackout. The app environment keeps on driving up consumer demands with companies responding in kind to stay competitive.<br /><br />Whereas first it was just necessary to have an app, some kind of presence on the app store, now an app needs to be the best and have the most features. This has fuelled an environment which explains why an internet casino such as <a href="http://www.bestcasinoscanada.com/review/mr-green/">Mr Green now features over 60+ mobile casino games on its app</a> even though the average player is never likely to use more than 10 of those from his handset. Some online casinos like LeoVegas mobile casino <a href="http://www.bestcasinoscanada.com/review/leovegas/">are even "mobile first"</a> - more geared towards mobile phones and tablet users than desktop or mac users.<br /><br /><h4><b>Future Outlook</b></h4><br />What is the future of apps? Many commentators point to a number of flaws in the current app system including its poor economy of scale, where each single app representing just one use website, game or function takes up a relatively large amount of real estate space. They envision a content index system, where apps will be grouped together and with content accessed more on a push based notification system. Other commentators see apps joined together, yelp to find a good restaurant connected to the restaurants app to order, a truly interconnected app environment instead of the silo based environment we currently have. It is possible <a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2015/07/the-world-of-bitcoin-and-its-underlying.html">Cryptocurrencies </a>would have a positive effect on that.<br /><br />Whatever the future, one thing is for certain is that it won’t remain static, 30+ years took us from snake on the Motorola to the current app environment, the next 30 is set to be just as exciting.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-57177904344190262632015-09-03T08:01:00.001-07:002019-06-24T06:51:54.840-07:00How Innovation Changed the World of Business Financing for GoodNothing in the world sounds as boring, non-tech-oriented, and archaic as business financing. This conception has been true for decades, but now disruption comes and abolishes that point of view. New type of lenders, which we will refer to as "online lenders", are using technology turn this seemingly painful process into a nothing more than a breeze in the wind.<br /><br /><h3> How Online Lenders Simplify Processes</h3><br />If you ever taken a business bank loan, you know what the process entails. It starts off with the basic documentation of your businesses (some legal letters), and continues with up to several months of back and forth asking you to supply more documents and more information. Your business will undergo the most detailed scrutinization by the bank's officials, and whether you'll get your funding relies heavily on your business' credit score, your personal credit score, and the securities you're willing to bring.<br /><br />In volatile financial times there's a <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurengensler/2015/08/27/couple-saves-travel-world/">direct impact on lending</a>, which never got to the way it was pre-2008. The same applies for business loans and even to a greater extent, not to mention small and medium businesses (SME) which often require small bridging loans to stabilize cash-flow and thus less than $50,000.<br /><br />Bank don't want to deal with anything they consider high risk, and especially small businesses and bad credit businesses. Even great borrowers which have clean history are required to supply security / collateral (<a href="https://www.translegal.com/great-divide/collateral-vs-security">same thing</a>).<br /><br />In short, it's difficult to borrow money from banks, very time consuming, and in many case you'll face a rejection. <br /><br />Online lenders follow the same basic principles all lenders (including banks) use, but they offer a lot more flexibility and require a lot less information to make an informed decision.<br /><br />Process: The process is especially easily for online sellers. Those can connect many of the online lenders platform (like <a href="http://businessloancompanies.com/reviews/fundbox/">Fundbox</a>) directly into their invoicing software, or connect lenders like <a href="http://businessloancompanies.com/reviews/ezbob/">EzBob</a> directly to their Paypal accounts. Instead of providing documents showing how business is like, and waiting for a staff of analysts to provide their opinion and reply - it's all done automatically by an algorithm.<br /><br />Each one of the companies has its own secret sauce, and the most profitable ones will be the ones assessing risk in the most accurate way, but we can assume the basics are somewhat alike. We do know for a fact many of these companies don't use the credit score parameters at all, and that will allow bad credit borrowers a fairer chance of getting their loan approved.<br /><br />Within minutes, hours, or several days, the borrower will receive a reply, with its own custom loan terms. Some platforms that are willing to bear risk will accept even the worst borrowers, but will charge very high interest, and also ask for securities, while others will be more picky on which business they'll work with, but will provide their lending unsecured.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-146fZD25z7M/VehgxakgJsI/AAAAAAAAATQ/LCj40WmwVoQ/s1600/ezbobhomepage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-146fZD25z7M/VehgxakgJsI/AAAAAAAAATQ/LCj40WmwVoQ/s320/ezbobhomepage.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><h4> Public Acceptance</h4><br />Public acceptance is at its top, after Lending Club has been floated for a staggering sum of 10bn (at peak), making it the second largest IPO of 2014, except Ali Baba of course. Some companies even receive government funding, and in general it seems like the public view is that this sort of lending can aid small businesses with their everlasting struggle for financing options.<br /><br />We anticipate more IPO's relating to alternative lenders this year (<a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/ondk">OnDeck is also now a public company</a>), and a lot more information, good and bad, popping about the topic. Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-75099047315338326242015-07-05T23:35:00.000-07:002019-06-24T06:54:44.339-07:00The World of Bitcoin and its underlying technology <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y2WPsJyToZc/VZoiDpi3tkI/AAAAAAAAASc/1xOdWFcsC2c/s1600/blockchain.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y2WPsJyToZc/VZoiDpi3tkI/AAAAAAAAASc/1xOdWFcsC2c/s400/blockchain.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /> <b>The Bitechnology</b><br /><br />Bitcoin is at once a technology and a currency. It is a decentralized ledger - otherwise known as a blockchain - which details every transaction ever made in its native token, bitcoin. What is truly remarkable about the blockchain is that it is not stored or maintained by any central entity, but rather is amended and distributed autonomously, and the transactions within are irreversibly recorded, universally recognized as being legitimate. In an internet increasingly vulnerable to hacking attacks and theft, how can such a system be so confident in its security and accuracy? <br /><br />Bitcoin technology is based on cryptography, or the art of hiding secrets in plain view. How bitcoin utilizes cryptography is most evident in two different processes: bitcoin transactions, and the settling of these transactions within the ledger. Both processes depend on a cryptographic mechanism known as the hash function. <br /><br /> <b>Hash</b><br /><br />OK, here comes the trickiest paragraph, so pay close attention. A <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/core-finance/money-and-banking/bitcoin/v/bitcoin-cryptographic-hash-function">cryptographic hash function</a> is a process by which a large amount of information is converted through a mathematical algorithm into a small, fixed output. While fixed initial information, when hashed, will always result in the same output, it is mathematically impossible to travel the other way - the input information cannot be determined from the output. Moreover, any change to the input, no matter how small, will result in an output bearing no resemblance to the previous output. At the same time the output is connected to its input through this algorithmic link.<br /><br />As it pertains to bitcoin, this output is known as a public key, a.k.a. <a href="https://www.bitaddress.org/">bitcoin address</a>, and the input provides the permission to make a transaction. The input, otherwise known as a private key, is provides a digital signature, which tells its algorithmically-connected public key to broadcast the desired transaction to the network. This network consists of thousands of relay points known as nodes - who can be anyone with broadband internet and about 20 gb of memory to spare - who snatch up newly broadcast transactions and stick them into a block filled with all other unfiled transactions. <br /><br />These transactions are settled onto the blockchain through a special process known as <a href="http://bitreview.com/mining">bitcoin mining</a>. Mining, in this context, refers to the application of a cryptographic hash function to the unfiled block, converting all the information within into that small, fixed output, which is then recorded on the blockchain. While a hash function can usually be done in a millisecond, the bitcoin protocol introduces a level of difficulty into the process which is known as proof of work. Proof of work requires that a successful output of the hash function - i.e. one that is amended to the end of the blockchain - start with a certain number of zeros. And, as mentioned above, it is impossible to determine the output of a variable input ahead of time. This means that miners must run the hash function, over and over again, each time changing slightly a variable input known as a “nonce”, until by happy accident the output starts with this predefined number of zeros. When a miner finally is successful, they broadcast the solution to the network, together with the nonce and all the transactions, it is verified as accurate and appended to the blockchain. The miner is then rewarded with bitcoin into his <a href="http://bitreview.com/wallet">wallet</a>, and the process starts all over again.<br /><br /><b>Proof of work</b><br /><br />Proof of work is necessary for two reasons. First, newly-minted Bitcoin are meant to be introduced slowly into the network over the course of the next 125 years, until production stops at 21 million bitcoin. This requires that mining rewards are distributed every 10 minutes. To maintain this schedule in the face of increasing mining power, the bitcoin network must increase proof of work difficulty.<br /><br />It is this mechanism that also serves to secure the network. The greatest threat to the bitcoin network is a so-called 51% attack, in which a single miner or evil group gains a majority of mining power and uses it either to disrupt the network or to process their own double spending of the same coin.<br /><br />However, the mining network, as foreseen, has grown massively and in distributed fashion. It would be extremely difficult - more so each day - for an evil group or government to compromise the blockchain.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-40615882463884360092014-12-05T14:26:00.001-08:002019-06-24T06:56:48.552-07:00Mobile Technologies And The Monetary worldIt has been long anticipated that notes and coins will vanish from our existence, and soon become a tale to tell our children and grandchildren of how sadly this world has once conducted itself.<br /><br />Just as our grandparents and their forefathers, who lived in a world with no credit cards, and no global liquidity between currencies, or their earlier ancestors who traded with golden stamped coins, or engaged in barter trading.<br /><br />All of the folklore we grew up on, describing a futuristic world, are now a reality. To demonstrate that, Nike decided to issue a <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/nike-designer-says-back-to-the-future-style-power-laces-will-arrive-in-2015-9134482.html">"back to the future" sport shoe with automatic lace</a>s. They did it for the gimmick and publicity it would bring them, but it goes to show you that even the minor things that were considered impossible not long ago are now in existence. The biggest invention of recent years is obviously the internet which has transformed the human being into something different of what it used to be in the past. <br /><br />The human existence is connected via a virtual network, and soon enough <a href="http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm">everyone will be there</a>. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-1cpsfgiqE/VS-TZuRGiTI/AAAAAAAAAQc/qszid1rmGhw/s1600/future.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-1cpsfgiqE/VS-TZuRGiTI/AAAAAAAAAQc/qszid1rmGhw/s320/future.png" width="320" /></a><b>A mobile world</b><br /><br />The internet being described as something recent maybe appear absurd to most folks. We have already forgotten that not long ago, a connection would have been commonly conducted through means like mail exchange, which nowadays seem obsolete. <br /><br />The new thing which is happening to us, is mobile. Not only you can be connected to information and people sitting on your desktop or laptop at home, you are ALWAYS connected and should remain as such, if you plan to be a part of the modern society (including modern businesses). Here are some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_smartphone_penetration">stats </a>on the subject.<br /><br />Considering all of the above, I was very surprised when I read about the lagging <a href="http://moneytransfercomparison.com/best-money-transfer-apps/">mobile money transfers on moneytransfercomparison.com</a>. Out of the 20 leading companies in the UK foreign exchange market, only 1 company has a proper app that allows sending money online. That company is <a href="http://moneytransfercomparison.com/worlds-first/">world first</a> money transfer by the way.<br /><br />There are other alternatives like e-wallets that will allow you to send money between 2 peers. <br /><br />The recent news are from Apple with <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-pay/">Apple-Pay</a>, as well as good ol' <a href="https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/mobile-apps">PayPal with their app</a>. <br /><br />Still, it defies logic that not all companies dealing in this industry, with such high margins, with a definite NEED to be available 24/7 for all transfers worldwide, who spend literally tens of thousands of dollars (or Sterling) monthly on live dealers and live assistance, don't translate their already existing platform into the mobile world.<br /><br />It is considerable and sensible that all transactions, either personal or between business, will soon be done in an instant via mobile devices. Soon after, the next "wearable" or "integrated device", should have these functionalities, but before we jump there, let's hope more money transfer companies will realize that in nowadays' world - have an app is beyond recommended, it's a must. Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02035978848794530304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-18815301826192728872014-02-27T02:51:00.002-08:002019-06-24T03:23:51.198-07:00Small Website Marketing And SEO Strategy<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Hello everyone. My name is Laura Anies (<a href="https://plus.google.com/108512913634053059366/"><i>view Google+ profile</i></a><i>)</i>, and I’m a small business owner myself. I’m a professional internet marketer, as well as a fashion and beauty buff, and I run 2 popular UK-based sites that are focused mainly on product reviews.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">I also regularly contribute to <a href="http://305startup.net/">305Startup.net</a>&nbsp;and have recently contributed an article about <a href="http://www.305startup.net/small-businesses-and-startup-funding/">small business funding tips</a>.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">I will try to lay out strategies and tactics that are <b>actually applicable for small, one man operations</b>. Most online guides won’t give you that, so stay tuned</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">This is going to be a long guide, and all of it will appear in a single page, so I advise you to use the on-page navigation menu below, and/or make a printed copy of it. Whatever you do, please make sure to give to<b> TheCoderTips.com.</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i>* If you want to read this review and tutorial as a PDF file, you can download it <a href="http://wbtutorial.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Small-Website-Marketing-And-SEO-Strategy.pdf"><b>HERE</b></a>.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Table of Contents</span></b></div><br /><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Small websites marketing and SEO strategy</h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#setofmind">Set of mind &amp; How to find your niche</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#why">Why should your website be any different from what others are doing?</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#howdoyou">So, how do you do this the right way</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#theme">Think of the theme of your site</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#marketingstrategy">Think of a marketing strategy</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#competition">Think of the competition in the niche</a></b></i></div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#startingof">Starting off: Product</a></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#envision">Envision how you want the products to look like</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#applyingseo">Applying SEO – Start with Keyword research</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#sitehierarchy">Plan the site hierarchy</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#executionofproduct">Execution of product</a></b></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#executionseo">Execution of product – SEO</a></b></i></div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#nextstage">Next stage – Marketing</a></h3><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.thecodertips.com/2014/02/small-website-marketing-and-seo-strategy.html#summary">Summary</a></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Note</b>: this guide covers a variety of topics, each one of them deserves a whole page, section or even a book to master. I’ve chosen to give you an overview for beginners. If you want to increase your knowledge on the topic, please refer to the different sites that I’ve included as resources.</i></div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="setofmind"><div style="direction: ltr;">Set of mind &amp; How to find your niche</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">I’m a firm believer in the concept that everything starts in a set of mind. As <a href="http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/">Mr. Avinash Kaushik</a>, one of the world’s most famous and successful internet marketers, says:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">[quote align="center" color="#999999"]“Most people focus on the <b>do</b>, when they should focus on the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>see</b></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>think</b></span>“[/quote]</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="center" dir="ltr">(Loosely rephrased from his latest <a href="http://moz.com/mozcon">MozCon</a> lecture)</div><div align="center" dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>What does he mean?</b> He means that UNLIKE in the “real world” of land-based businesses, internet marketers and entrepreneurs focus on immediate make-money streams instead of creating products which aid their potential consumers.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>Most of the internet is absolute junk.</b> It is composed of people who heard there’s money to be made online, and decided to step in and apply low-quality SEO techniques on a site that provides no value.</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="why"><div style="direction: ltr;">Why should your website be any different from what others are doing?</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">There’s a simple answer to that. The answer is that the online world is changing:</div><ul dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>Consumers are not buying if trust isn’t established (<a href="http://econsultancy.com/il/nma-archive/47836-lack-of-trust-hinders-potential-of-online-shopping"><i>reference</i></a>). If your site, or product for that matter, isn’t top-notch, there’s very little chance the wishful trust will be established.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>Search engines (re: Google) now scrutinize the quality of your site in many aspects. There were several quality-ensuring tweaks within the algorithm to prevent low-quality sites from ranking. The main one is the Panda update (<a href="http://www.wordtracker.com/academy/google-panda-farmer">read more</a>), and there were other smaller ones like the <a href="http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2216227/Google-Updates-Above-the-Fold-Page-Layout-Algorithm">page layout update</a>.</li></ul><ul dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>Search engines (again, re: Google) are much more efficient against sites trying to game their algorithm. Penguin updates (<a href="http://searchengineland.com/library/google/google-penguin-update">view full list here</a>) analyzed at many forms of artificial backlinks, and penalized sites that are applying aggressive SEO techniques. Links that are truly affective for the long term, and aren’t putting your site at risk, <b>are links that you have received as a genuine positive reference</b>.</li></ul><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"></div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="howdoyou"><div style="direction: ltr;">So, how do you do this the right way</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">So, how do you do this the right way, considering you have a small newish website with a limited marketing budget?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">When you change your <b>set of mind</b>, you start thinking <b>outside the box.</b> Until now, if your business was solely internet-based, you thought of ways to game Google and prove them that your site has superior qualities over other sites in the same niche.</div><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rrCdYW3CoU/UxB93m8VPEI/AAAAAAAABEY/ZhTi8jFIWWU/s1600/strategy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rrCdYW3CoU/UxB93m8VPEI/AAAAAAAABEY/ZhTi8jFIWWU/s1600/strategy.jpg" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" dir="ltr"><i>Brain going outside a box: <a href="http://thederangedhousewifeonline.blogspot.co.il/2012_01_01_archive.html">http://thederangedhousewifeonline.blogspot.co.il/2012_01_01_archive.html</a></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">How about thinking like a REAL business owner would? Wil Reynolds from SEER interactive coined a phrase named RCS – Real Company Stuff (<a href="http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/rcs-how-we-do-it-with-a-live-example">read more</a>). It basically says that you if you want to be regarded as an authoritative resource by Google and users, you should do things big serious company do, but on a lower scale.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>When REAL business owners</b> want to start a business, they start off by thinking about the product. Up until now when you wanted to start a website you’d do it by performing a keyword research. Are you still doing that? That is SO <a href="http://www.searchenginejournal.com/keyword-research-where-to-start/7217/">2008</a> .</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div id="theme" style="text-decoration: underline;"><div style="direction: ltr;">Think of the theme of your site</div></div><div style="direction: ltr;"><u><br /></u></div></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Is it something you can provide an added value in? Either because you’re an expert on the topic, you have someone who is an expert on the topic, you can think of better UX than other sites, you have better products or cheaper products, or there something innovative others aren’t offering.</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="marketingstrategy"><div style="direction: ltr;">Think of a marketing strategy</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">A good marketing strategy is one that leverages your product rather than being independent of it. Do you know these catchy commercials that stick into your brain and won’t let go, but you don’t really recall what they advertise? This is what I’m talking about. If you get your name heard in the wrong places, or your site linked to from the wrong places – you are both doomed for an unsuccessful marketing campaign, as well as an unsuccessful SEO campaign.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">When the marketing / SEO aspects COMES from within your product – targeting the real target audience, and sharing content which is worth sharing, the whole process becomes much easier. You don’t have to be an SEO expert and calculate the location, placement and anchor of your links – you can present your site and let other site owners decide this for you. When links are constructed as a result of an <a href="http://www.northsideseo.com/associated-egobait/">outreach campaign</a>, they are risk-free, and tend to be more powerful than links supplied by solicitation requests.</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="competition"><div style="direction: ltr;">Think of the competition in the niche</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Think of your competitors’ budgets and reputation. Are you able to cope with them? You don’t necessarily need to spend as much money as the guy next to you, but realistically you won’t establish a new company form the ground up with 10% of the funding of your competitors. 50% is somewhat realistic if you think they overspent, but 10% of your competitors’ budget, will almost never end in you surpassing them. Aiming for being the second or third best thing around, ’cause there are sites you cannot be a match to, is the line of thinking a <b>loser</b> would stick to.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Smaller businesses think <b>SUB NICHE</b>. Did you consider opening your running shoes store, and sticking it to all the big stores? Think again. When you come up with a sub-niche you are also getting closer to finding your USP (<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/14301696">Unique Selling Point</a>).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Sub-niche is also the window to SEO success. In a world of titans who have reputation and funding that you cannot replicate, there’s still some room for the little guys. <b>Google</b> has a lot of respect for sites that are extremely comprehensive and are niche leaders. These are the type of sites that have gained more and more visibility over the course of the past years. These are the type of sites that rank for heavy generic keywords like “marketing”, “SEO”, “running shoes” or even compose about 80% of the front page results for a term like <a href="https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr#biw=1366&amp;bih=667&amp;sclient=psy-ab&amp;q=indonesian%20chicken%20curry&amp;oq=&amp;gs_l=&amp;pbx=1&amp;fp=1b651a0322fcd40e&amp;pf=p&amp;pdl=300&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&amp;cad=b&amp;bvm=pv.xjs.s.en_US.jOYpRJj4zMA.O">Indonesian chicken curry</a>.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Let’s focus on that Indonesian example for moment. Search results are volatile, and I cannot predict what this query will yield in the future, but I’m guessing that at any point in time you’ll be searching, that 20 percent portion of the search results which isn’t composed of big well-known websites will include niche leaders for Asian cooking.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">It is impossible (or close to it), to create a site that will cover different types of dishes from all around the world in a better way than <a href="http://food.com/">food.com</a> or <a href="http://about.com/">about.com</a>, as I mentioned before. Yet, it is much more up the alley of a small-time entrepreneur to create a niche site for Asian foods, or better yet Indonesian food. The DEPTH of the sub-niche will depend on how much you would be willing to invest upon the establishment of the site.&nbsp; If you are on a really tight budget, and your aim is to rank, you can also launch a site dedicated specifically for Indonesian Chicken recopies. It’s all up to you.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">When you think of a niche you need to start thinking monetization. That is, of course, if you want to make money out of your website, rather than make a hobby site. There are countless ways to monetize your website (here are <a href="http://blog.reachli.com/24-ways-to-monetize-your-blog-or-website">24</a> of them) and you need to find where the business center in what you do is.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Incorporating the business aspect should help you focus, and moreover help you formulate a business plan, which should match with your product and marketing plans.&nbsp; It might be a good time for you to discover that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_on_investment">ROI</a> of your project isn’t what you anticipated it to be.</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="startingof"><div style="direction: ltr;">Starting off: Product</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">As I have explicitly mentioned in the previous section of this guide, the key to good marketing is a good product. This should be your starting point rather than your SEO strategy. I will go over mostly technical things here, but make sure you read previous section to ensure you have the <b>right set of mind.</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">After we have a niche in mind, we will dive into preliminary market research.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; See what the target audience likes, wants and needs. Interview people who are relevant for this research, find online contacts who can give a hand, read surveys, dive into forums, start reading relevant blogs and do whatever is in your power to understand your demographic.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; See what other sites that are popular and well-ranked in Google offer. This can give you an idea of what should you cover, and what can you do better than them.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; See how much money can you make – choose your way of monetization, and see how lucrative your target audience is to advertisers. The Google adwords (<a href="http://www.google.com/adwords/">http://www.google.com/adwords/</a>) tool can give you initial insights, but also look for NICHE-specific advertising to maximize your profits. If you’re into baby diapers for example, search for baby diapers advertising, baby diapers affiliate programs and so on.</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="envision"><div style="direction: ltr;">Envision how you want the products to look like</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Before you move into the technical stages of keywords research and content creation, SEO-friendly structure or marketing, you have to stick to #<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wilreynolds/do-real-company-stuff-mozcon-2012-version">RCS</a>. A big part of RCS is putting different types of effort into your product – the type real companies would do when they launch their product.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Make a list of the articles you want in your site, what is the hierarchy between them (which ones are ought to become more popular), and how the website would look.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">You can make a preliminary sketch with things like MS-Word, MS-Paint, or more professional tools that are actually mock up software (Smash magazine lists&nbsp; a bunch of them here – <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/06/07/mockup-tools/">http://mashable.com/2012/06/07/mockup-tools/</a>).</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="applyingseo"><div style="direction: ltr;">Applying SEO – Start with Keyword research</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Keyword research is not only made to discover which keywords should appear in your website to attract traffic, not at all. By understanding which queries users are using to find the information, you can also understand what type of information you should provide.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Use tools like Google keyword tool, Google suggest, Google trends, <a href="http://yoast.com/suggest">Yoast.com/suggest/</a>, and type in as many related keywords as you find (if you started off doing the stages properly you must have an idea of the needs and wants of your audience by now).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Go to competitors’ site and identify their keywords by listing their articles, looking through their <a href="http://www.seologic.com/faq/meta-keywords"><i>meta keywords</i></a><i> &amp; </i><a href="http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2067564/How-To-Use-HTML-Meta-Tags"><i>meta title</i></a><i> </i>fields and seeing which keywords have most focus and son.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The next part is just to take the vision and adjust it accordingly:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Incorporate a main keyword and secondary keywords target for each field.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Use keywords that don’t match your content help you discover more areas of what to write about.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Understand search volumes for each intent (group of keywords) and understand what your potential visitors want to see MOST (this will dictate your hierarchy and design later on).</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="sitehierarchy"><div style="direction: ltr;">Plan a site hierarchy</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The site’s hierarchy is the way your website is built. Which content appears on the homepage, how does the navigation looks, what type of elements will you have on the center of the page, which elements will you have on your sidebar, and how the <i>user funnel </i>would look like.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">This is very site specific and design specific, but the main idea is to take the intents/pages that you have identified in your research, and make sure it’s easily accessible. Take other content which is not as important, and include it in the site in a way it would be accessible to whomever want to access it.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Here’s an example showing how a page is structured, there are many possible pages to proceed to, but the ones with higher popularity are more highlighted.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The shit starts off with a navigation menu that includes some of the most popular continuation-pages for the users entering this page, but more highlighted than everything is the recommended action for the user (BUY NOW or TRY FOR FREE, kind of thing).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">In the less visible parts of the page, below the fold (read this interesting debate about i <a href="http://ogrshows.com/shows/podcasts/uxthis-podcasts/547">http://ogrshows.com/shows/podcasts/uxthis-podcasts/547</a>), you have to link to more pages that can be interesting for both the users, and search engines (relevant pages that can get the power of the linking page and its relevancy).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Here’s a basic layout of a page: (<i>pardon the quality – click to enlarge it</i>):</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>You have to apply the same type of sense to your overall site structure. </b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Popular pages are easy to find and navigate to (in most cases linked throughout the site and not from a specific section).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It’s easy to understand what is the main thing you should do in each page</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All pages in the site could be found within 2 click away from homepage</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Relevant internal links from each page (for example, if you have a “Burgers page” you should link to you “McDonald’s critique” page, but not so much to your “Children’s book” page).</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="executionofproduct"><div style="direction: ltr;">Execution of product</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">After you have an idea of the different building blocks of the site, how to place them, and what do you want written there, it’s the time to convey your ideas and turn your dream into reality.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>The best way your product will look, is the way you want it, is if you build it from the ground up.</b> This requires a <b>very wide set of skills</b>, design/UX,<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u> </u></span>programming/advanced webmaster skills and content writing skills. Most people are good at either one of the three, while some are just strong with the business and administrative skills and cannot perform either task.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">I don’t feel this is the place to tell you where and how to recruit these people, but as part of REAL COMPANY STUFF approach, it is advised you’d find the person perfectly fit for this work and not “a person who can design/program/write”.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">When you work with either one of these it’s important to be <b>as detailed as possible with your requests.</b> Even if you cannot design, you can make a preliminary mock-up, if you cannot write you can write pointers of things to include in the text, if you cannot program make some research on the platform you’d like to use. For beginners it’s easiest to use one of the all-in-one website builder as suggested in the homepage of this site, like Webs, Weebly or Wix.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">As any business owners realized – unless you <b>are the pushing force</b> behind your business, the business will collapse. Don’t put your trust in a stranger’s hand assuming “this guy knows how to work since he did THIS or THAT in the past”.</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="executionseo"><div style="direction: ltr;">Execution of product – SEO</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">After the content is written in a user-friendly way, and the site is structured like that, there is not much to do on the on-page SEO. Upload the pages making sure the URLs fit the purpose of the page (short and to the point), upload meta title that describe what can be found in the page (in an attractive way), upload meta descriptions that provide even more information.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Don’t use old school SEO tricks like keyword stuffing, and don’t be over optimized (repeat the main intent of the page more than once in meta title, create H1 for the page which is similar to the meta title) – just go with the flow and make sure that the main keywords of the page are included in it.</div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="nextstage"><div style="direction: ltr;">Next stage – Marketing</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">You’d be relieved to know that even though this is the main theme of the article, by following the previous steps you are already 99% there.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">If you followed my advice, by now you should have a:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; High quality product with a unique selling point.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Well structured site which is easy to use.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Content that covers all the important aspects needed to be covered.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">This is the type of sites <b>both search engines and users love</b>, so you are expected:</div><ol dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>To rank better without the need for as many links as your competitors who apply low quality techniques.</li><li>Rank easily on a variety of longtails – the more unique your content is and the more topics it deals with that other don’t – it’ll “find its way”. Longtails compose more than 70% of the internet searches, so that alone can give you most of the traffic you were aiming for.</li><li>Becomes easily shared (socially) and linked to, without any special efforts.</li></ol><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Even considering the above what you truly need at this stage is a <b>kick-start to get your name recognized in the right places.</b> This strategy is a low-budget one, add more marketing things like PR companies the more budget you have, but this is the basic:</div><ol dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>Create a G+ user and make it an <a href="https://plus.google.com/authorship">Author</a> of your content. Connect with people on Google plus who are in the same line of business and share similar interest and gently advise them to have a look at your site. If you contact more site owners, you have a better chance of linkage.</li></ol><ol dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>Create relevant business pages and personal user profile,&nbsp; who will be kept up to date and publish the content of your site (another MEDIA to reach TRAFFIC and also get LINKS).</li></ol><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Try to be active wherever you can:</div><ul dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>Facebook</li><li>Twitter</li><li>Google +</li><li>Intagram</li><li>Pinterest</li><li>Vine</li><li>Local networks</li><li>Professional networks</li><li>Q&amp;A sites like Yahoo!Answers</li><li>Forums on the relevant topic</li></ul><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Don’t SPAM there, publish USEFUL information – from either your OWN site or ANOTHER site. Help other people, comment on their threads, statuses, offer as much advice as you can and try to solve their problems. They will trust you and become your followers if they think you’re an expert.</div><ol dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Link to as many good resources as you can</b> from your content, and notify their owners about that. Maybe they would like to link back (yes reciprocal link exchange aren’t favored by Google but these type of two very relevant and good sites type of link-backs aren’t an issue).</li><li><b>Guest post on another blogs</b>. Don’t guest posts on sites that take whoever they can find to guest post, but aim high for blogs like ones listed on Techcrunch and maintain very high quality throughout the articles. Don’t link to your content artificially but rather write on a topic that DEMANDS the link to your site for more information.</li><li><b>Make a real press release to your new content or product</b>. Approach relevant industry news sites and big time magazines and offer them different re-writes of your story. DON’T just publish your story via automated PR feeds like PRWire.</li><li><b>Search for specific queries that you provide the best information on</b>. For example if you provide explanations on how to run a marathon, search for each and every query that deals with the topic. Contact each GOOD site (site that is up to date, good content, and good Google ranks for the relevant queries) and simply tell them you have relevant content (specify for which pages and which are your relevant pages). Tell them a link can be nice but don’t be pushy about that. Try to be friendly and interact, the more they feel friendly with you – the higher the odds you’ll get a link from it.</li><li><b>&nbsp;Do branding based campaigns</b> – co-citations (how many times your brand is mentioned over the web) is also super important. Sites like YouTube let you upload a branding video – make a good catchy one and get people familiar with your brand. Youtube is just one option, how about replying with your brand name in relevant big time blogs comment section (people read those like crazy!). It’s not the comment link that matters, it doesn’t, but the fact people will get curious about who you are and eventually look for you.</li></ol><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i>** Both searches for brand name, and co-citations are really helpful for SEO, but more than that – when people know your brand, they are more likely to buy or register **</i></div><h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><div id="summary"><div style="direction: ltr;">Summary</div></div></span></h3><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">I hope you enjoyed this guide as I most certainly did.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">If we have to summarize the process described here into a list of pointers, I would say:</div><ul dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>It begins with the proper set of mind.</li><li>That proper set of mind thinks USERS and PRODUCT before marketing aspects.</li><li>Don’t jump into product creation before you envision it, and understand exactly which purpose it serves.</li><li>Analyze your set of skills and strong points and make sure you understand what the advantage this product has over others products.</li><li>Look at competitors and do preliminary keywords research to understand what the audience wants to see. Have a complete list of pages to include at this stage.</li><li>Structure pages starting with the most common or desired intent and let users choose from a variety of things to proceed to.</li><li>Important pages should be more highlighted and get more links within the site.</li><li>Write to the people who help you build the site a very detailed overview of what you are looking for</li><li>After product is done – marketing is a joke. Create presence in the most relevant places like forums, blogs, social networks, add people and help them as much as you can – connect with them, and they are likely to link to you or share your content.</li><li>Add some blog posting to the mix in extreme high quality blogs.</li><li>Brand your site on top of getting links, as co-citations on the web &amp; brand searches will aid your SEO</li></ul><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Good luck and thanks for reading through these 3811 words&nbsp;</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-37950497295714963022014-02-26T10:42:00.002-08:002015-04-16T03:30:59.000-07:00Top 3 Free Banner Maker Resources<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-xHIPmj6V4/UxB7lSXjKTI/AAAAAAAABEM/c1EdgDvqP3Q/s1600/Top-3-Free-Banner-Maker-websites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-xHIPmj6V4/UxB7lSXjKTI/AAAAAAAABEM/c1EdgDvqP3Q/s1600/Top-3-Free-Banner-Maker-websites.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">We all know that the look of your website has a big impact on your visitors. This is the first thing that they see and can make them decide to stay or leave. Maybe you have a bad design and they will think that your website is outdated or maybe your site is too flashy and shows no credibility.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">In either case you need to have an adequate design to match the purpose of your website and your targeted audience.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Two important elements on every blog are the header and the banners :</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</b>&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>The Header</b> – is part of your brand and is a way to differentiate yourself from others</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>The Banner</b> – helps you to catch the visitors attention and redirect them to a specific location or page (a product, a service or even another website)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">There are two ways to obtain a nice header or banner:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</b> <b><i>Hire a pro</i></b> – which is a great option for those that have funds to invest in their website.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><b>2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</b> <b><i>Do it yourself</i></b> – which is a great option if you have the knowledge to use different graphic softwares like Photoshop or Corel or any other program on the market.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">For those that don’t have any web design skills nor budget to acquire a proper design, there is a third solution – <b>Free Banner Maker Websites</b> !</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">They are very intuitive and easy to use and, on top of all, provide very nice banners or even headers because most of them lets you choose the size and format. Below I have quickly reviewed the top 3 banner maker websites that I stumbled upon.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://banner.fotor.com/"><b>Fotor Banner Maker</b></a><b> – </b>A great website with nice layout a lot of powerful features that can help build professional looking banners. You have the ability to customize everything from the size, the background, adding text or graphics and everything in between just by clicking and editing the items.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The first thing you need to choose is how you want to go about it:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Choose a predefined size and template</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Enter a custom size and make everything from scratch</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">After that you will enter the dashboard where you can start compiling/editing your desired banner. On the left side you have the control panel where all the tools are.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">If you want to add a picture or graphic, you can do so by going to right sidebar and choosing the location of the picture (Computer, Facebook, Flickr or the Web).</div><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">When you are happy with the result, you can simply press Save, change the file name, select the format (.jpg or .png), click again Save and then select the location where you want the file saved in your computer.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.bannerfans.com/banner_maker.php"><b>BannerFans Banner Maker</b></a> – A straight forward banner maker where you are guided, step by step, thru the whole process. It is not as powerful Fotor (my personal opinion) but it’s easier to use and you can save your work in 3 different formats – PNG, JPG and GIF.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Every time you make changes, you can click the “Update my banner” button to see exactly how it will look like after edits.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">As with the previous website, you can choose a preset format or you can enter a custom size that will fit your needs. This is done in the <b><i>Layout</i></b> tab where you can also choose background colors and many other options. The next two tabs are for the text you want to be added and customizations like shadows and effects.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The <b><i>Border</i></b> tab will let you add…uhhh…borders to your banner J Is a good way to make a banner stand out and depending on the purpose, you have 5 options – No border, Solid, Dashed, Double solid and Double dashed (like I did in the example above).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.webbanner24.com/"><b>WebBanner24 Banner Maker</b></a> – Very simple to navigate thru all the option because all you need is the left sidebar. You can easily select a size template or use a custom size and then you can start editing the background, add text, border, filters or even animations.</div><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">As you can see from the sample above, in just a few minutes you can have a pretty basic banner done. Is not the best looking by far, but is so easy. And sometimes we just need something quick that will do the job.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">This are my picks for top 3 banner maker websites ! Which one do you like more ? Do you know another great resource for creating free banner ? If so, please let me know in the comment section bellow !</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-33153873663696638062014-02-26T10:39:00.001-08:002015-04-16T04:55:06.101-07:00How to Plan and Execute a Successful Social Media Strategy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2FWlqVUoW6g/UxB-EsgH1LI/AAAAAAAABEg/fjTrNmM_Lz4/s1600/Successful-Social-Media-Strategy-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2FWlqVUoW6g/UxB-EsgH1LI/AAAAAAAABEg/fjTrNmM_Lz4/s1600/Successful-Social-Media-Strategy-300x300.jpg" /></a></div><br />If you run an online business and you haven’t jumped into the social game, you haven’t even begun to touch the potential for your success. Now more than ever, social media is a critical element to a well-planned and executed marketing strategy.<br /><br />Don’t believe the naysayers that complain social media isn’t quantifiable. In a sense, that’s true – social is, by its very nature, dynamic and tough to compartmentalize. What it brings your brand, however, is priceless – a true, personal connection with your customers.<br /><br />Put simply: if you sell shoes online with no social media presence, and your competitor sells equally fabulous shoes with a strong social presence, your competitor will win the race. Why? Because they’re better able to connect to their audience. These days, engagement provides the keys to the proverbial kingdom.<br /><br />So how do you craft a social media strategy from scratch? I’ve simplified the process below, in 8 easy steps. You’ll also find a list of the most common mistakes companies make in social media – those are listed so you don’t have to repeat such blunders!<br /><h3>Step 1: Define Your Social Brand Strategy</h3>Every company has a story to tell, based upon the tone and spirit of its brand. If you haven’t clearly defined your mission statement, your goals, and your presence as a company, that has to be first.<br />T<br />he next step is a bit dynamic, but so is social media. Plot out the goals you’d like to achieve through your social signals, even if they don’t seem directly related. Examples include tangible goals, like increase site traffic by 25%. Other equally critical goals are things like “increase the likability of the company brand” and “create a personal connection to our brand and customers.” The latter are really what social media does best, and this is why it’s tough to quantify. Personal engagement, however, is so critical, it’s worth taking on abstract tasks to make it a reality for your company.<br /><h3>Step 2: Competitive and Community Analysis</h3>Before you spend hours and hours plotting what you instinctively think ought to be your social strategy, go first to two audiences who may know better than you do: your competitors, and your customers.<br /><br />Comb through your competitors social profiles and campaigns carefully – those will tell you a lot about what to do, and what not to do. Likewise, don’t forget to reach out to your already loyal customers and see what they’re responding to – this is the heart of any social media campaign, once it launches, so it makes tons of sense to tackle this pre-launch as well.<br /><h3>Step 3: Narrow Your Focus</h3>True, we learned above that social media can assist your company in any number of arenas. For the sake of your first social launch, however, it’s wise to focus on one core metric or area of improvement, and build from there.<br /><br />Is it most important to build brand awareness? To increase loyalty and retention? To sell more products? Choose a focus, and build your first round of tasks around this goal.<br /><h3>Step 4: Determine the Metrics That Spell Success</h3>Now that you’ve carved out a core focus, it’s critical that you define the metrics that will help you determine success or failure in the social stratosphere. This is a main reason why so many complain that social media isn’t measurable – they don’t take the time to define what that means for each campaign.<br /><br />Think carefully about what your goal is, and subsequently, how you know you’ve reached it. Your focus should never be about how many “Likes” or Twitter followers you amass, but the engagement, ROI, or site traffic increases you’re enjoying. Followers are meaningless if they don’t meet your targeted goals.<br /><h3>Step 5: Know Your Demographic</h3>You know who you are, what your core intent is, and how you’re going to measure success. Next, it’s essential that you create a clear map of who you are attempting to reach. What traits do you know about your current audience? Exactly who will you be attempting to engage in the social space? Think about psychographic traits of not only your current customers, but those you hope to reach as well. Understanding exactly who you are trying to reach will help you craft the perfect campaign.<br /><h3>Step 6: What Makes You Special?</h3>One of the prevailing traits that the companies who are most successful in any marketing space is that they know what makes their company special. Coca-Cola isn’t about beverages, it’s about happiness. Disney doesn’t make movies, they make magic.<br /><br />Put your thinking cap on, and define the one thing your brand most comprehensively represents. Is it a lifestyle trait? Is it a specific tone or vibe? Or is it something more tangible, like good health or looking stylish? If you know what makes your company stand out from the crowd, and commit to communicating this across the board, you’ll strengthen your core identity and inspire your audience to new heights. This is what separates mediocre marketing from powerhouse campaigns.<br /><h3>Step 7: Make it Personal</h3>As you begin to craft ideas for social media campaigns, you’ll want to define what your voice is as a brand. The more personal in the social space, the better – people need to feel emotionally connected, and that doesn’t happen with logos, it happens with other people.<br /><br />You’ll likely have several people in your organization execute social signals during your company’s lifecycle, so it’s important to define the tone, demeanor, and style of those correspondences. Inconsistency is not your friend. People respond to brands that stay true to themselves in every correspondence; especially on social networks. Map out you social media policies and personality before you execute a single campaign.<br /><h3>Step 8: Begin Your Social Dominance</h3>Now that you know why you’re going social, who you are as a brand, what makes you special, and who your audience is, chances are you are more prepared to make a big social splash than any of your competitors. Now, and only now, is it time to map out a campaign or two.<br /><br />Take it one social network at a time. Set up your profiles on all your chosen sites thoughtfully and carefully – again, being mindful to consistency, honoring your personal tone, and paying attention to detail. Each channel should feel distinct, yet still very much like your brand’s identity. Consider your specific reason for engaging in each channel, and honor that as well. Then, begin to formulate updates, content, promotions, and related campaign parameters for each selected channel.<br /><br />Don’t forget to measure the metrics of each channel and campaign carefully, and be fearless about making calculated shifts in your strategy as needed.<br /><br />There are many mistakes made over and over again by companies in taking on social media. Your last task before a full scale social launch is to learn from these common pitfalls.<br /><br />Review the list below, and take them to heart – committing even one of these social sins can undo all the hard work you completed above.<br /><br /><b><i>1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Avoid Talking About Yourself Too Much</i></b><br /><br />Social media netizens abhor brands that do nothing but espouse their greatness. Your formula should be 1 part brand aggrandizement to 9 parts informative shares. Avoid hard sells, and present your audience with content that’s relevant to your industry and their interests.<br /><br /><b><i>2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Remember One Size Does Not Fit All</i></b><br /><br />Many companies treat all social channels the same. As mentioned above, it’s truly important to consider the reason you’re participating in each community, and to craft content accordingly. Seeing the same updates across multiple channels is annoying and insulting. Be creative, and treat each audience with respect.<br /><br /><b><i>3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Avoid Negativity</i></b><br /><br />It may be tempting to lambast your competitors in the social space, but resist this temptation – negative posts of any kind are a big turn-off. Always take the high road and focus on the positive.<br /><br /><b><i>4)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don’t Ignore Your Channels</i></b><br /><br />Once you officially launch a presence on any social channel, dedicate time within your organization to foster that community. Nothing turns-off social fans more than a company’s profile that hasn’t been updated in months, with comments from followers left unanswered. If you can’t afford to have real-time coverage of your social spaces, don’t do it at all.<br /><br /><b><i>5)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Never Solely Rely on Words to Convey Your Message</i></b><br /><br />Social signals are far more likely to be shared and “Liked” if you have visual media to accompany the words. Text-only updates are fine in small doses – but pictures really do speak volumes more. Videos, all the more so.<br /><br />You now have all the tools you need to craft a thoughtful, targeted, and hugely successful social media presence. Stay true to your brand at all times, be strategic and respectful to your audience, and watch how beneficial a great social media presence can be to your brand’s identity, and your bottom line.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2780991641185001926.post-80618969861729081812014-02-26T10:33:00.000-08:002014-02-28T04:18:20.640-08:00Simple Forms With Python And Django Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-usPuaOAFkyo/UxB-hOLVNiI/AAAAAAAABEo/icquIL_XJ8s/s1600/python_logo_without_textsvg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-usPuaOAFkyo/UxB-hOLVNiI/AAAAAAAABEo/icquIL_XJ8s/s1600/python_logo_without_textsvg.png" /></a></div>&nbsp;It’s weekend again, and you want to make sure you won’t go through next week without playing soccer with your friends in the local playing field. Every week it’s the same thing.<br /><br />You send a mail to a twenty-something people mailing list, asking what time and day is best for everyone.<br /><br />Half an hour later you have 30 emails on 7 different threads with 23 different playing time options. What a mess. If only you could just send a website link to everyone, and come back a day later to see the final results. What if you could set up such a survey in under an hour?<br /><i>* If you want to read this review and tutorial as a PDF file, you can download it <a href="http://wbtutorial.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Simple-Forms-With-Python-And-Django-Tutorial.pdf"><b>HERE</b></a>.</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>0. Preview</b></span><br /><br />This post is going to give an overview of Python and the widely-used Django as web framework. It’s my personal preference of website building blocks and I won’t be discussing its pros and cons here. I’m going to try to be as focused as possible, which means I’ll give as little customization options as possible so you won’t get confused. Security and beauty of websites will also not addressed here for the same reasons. Feel free to ask for elaboration in the comments section, or using Django’s <a href="https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.5/topics/">extensive documentation</a>.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Setup time</span></b><br /><br />So, what do we need for the next hour? First of all, Python version 2.7.5 scripting language installed (<a href="http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.5/python-2.7.5.msi">32bit</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.5/python-2.7.5.amd64.msi">64bit</a>&nbsp;version). Second and last, Django web framework. Download the framework <a href="https://www.djangoproject.com/download/1.5.1/tarball/">here</a>&nbsp;and extract it somewhere on your drive (lets say, <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">c:\code\Django-1.5.1\</span>). Now install Django as a python package by opening an <b>admin</b>&nbsp;cmd.exe and running<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">c:\&gt;c:\python27\python.exe c:\code\Django-1.5.1\setup.py install</div><div style="direction: ltr;">c:\&gt;cd c:\code</div><div style="direction: ltr;">c:\code\&gt;c:\python27\scripts\djang-admin.py startproject soccer</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;"><i>note: You should add c:\python27\ to your system’</i><i>s PATH variable, to avoid typing the full path every time.</i></div><div style="direction: ltr;"></div><div style="direction: ltr;">Perfect. We now have Django website&nbsp;<i>project</i>. Of course every site needs a database to hold.. well.. data. Go ahead and open <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">c:\code\soccer\soccer\settings.py</span> with your favorite editor (mine’s&nbsp;<a href="http://notepad-plus-plus.org/">Notepad++</a>). You’ll see a line saying “<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">DATABASES</span>“, edit the configuration under it so it will look like this (additions in <b>bold</b>):</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">DATABASES = {</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘default’: {</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ‘ENGINE’: ‘django.db.backends<b>.sqlite3</b>‘, # Add ‘postgresql_psycopg2′, ‘mysql’, ‘sqlite3′ or ‘oracle’.</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ‘NAME’: ‘<b>c:/code/soccer/soccer.sqlite</b>‘, &nbsp; # Or path to database file if using sqlite3.</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; # The following settings are not used with sqlite3:</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ‘USER’: ”,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ‘PASSWORD’: ”,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ‘HOST’: ”, &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;# Empty for localhost through domain</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ‘PORT’: ”, &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;# Set to empty string for default.</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; }</div><div style="direction: ltr;">}</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;"><i>Note: Django paths are always using forward slashes (‘/’),&nbsp;whether&nbsp;you’re using Windows or Linux</i></div><br />Now set up your DB by running the following command. It will ask you for configuring a superuser for your website, you can just choose admin/admin user/pass combination for now, don’t worry about it.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">c:\code\soccer\&gt;python manage.py syncdb</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;">Last but not least, we need to create an <i>application</i> inside our <i>project</i>. Let go to console again and type:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">c:\code\soccer\&gt;python manage.py startapp survey</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;">To let Django know we are going to use this app, open your <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">settings.py</span> again and edit:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">INSTALLED_APPS = (</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘django.contrib.auth’,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘django.contrib.contenttypes’,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘django.contrib.sessions’,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘django.contrib.sites’,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘django.contrib.messages’,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘django.contrib.staticfiles’,</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp;<b> &nbsp; ‘survey’,</b></div><div style="direction: ltr;">)</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;"><i>Note: Remember that python is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-side_rule">“offside rule”</a> language, meaning spaces and indentation is&nbsp;critical.&nbsp;Take extra care when copying&amp;pasting the code from the blog.</i></div>At this stage you can start your webserver:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">c:\code\soccer\&gt;python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;">This runs the webserver on port 8000, and allows access from any IP (after all, a survey for yourself is no survey!). &nbsp;Check that everything went fine by entering <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">127.0.0.1:8000</span> in your browser.</div><br />Congratulation, you have a website up and running! Now lets add some content to it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2. Writing our survey system</b></span><br /><br />Lets start with <i>models</i>, these are essentially items of information you will want to store in your DB and present to users. Open your<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> models.py</span> (in our <i>application, </i>which as you remember is in <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">c:\code\soccer\survey</span>) and insert the following to the file:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">from django.db import models</div><div style="direction: ltr;">class Vote(models.Model):</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>choiceDay = models.CharField(max_length=100)</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>choiceTime = models.IntegerField()</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>voterName = models.CharField(max_length=100)</div></blockquote>This bit will add a new table to our website’s DB with 3 columns: choiceDay for the desired day for playing (“Sun”, “Wed”, etc.). choiceTime will be an Integer field because we only want to give 2 options for match time (08:00 and 20:00). voterName will be the name of the specific vote item so we can track no one’s been cheating. Because this is a DB modification, you will now need to run the <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">syncdb </span>command again (see previous section if you forgot the syntax).<br /><br />Another building block of Django is a <i>view</i>, which is a “type of webpage” inside you website. e.g. in this blog, a view is either a “Blog post”, “Blog homepage” or “Sitemap”. Views are created in the <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">views.py</span> file, next to your previous <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">models.py</span>. Lets add our first view now, this one will be in charge of simply displaying the survey options to the voters and asking them to choose. Later on we will create a view that shows the results of the vote. Open <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">views.py</span> and add:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div><div style="direction: ltr;">from django.http import HttpResponse, HttpResponseRedirect</div><div style="direction: ltr;">from django.shortcuts import render</div><div style="direction: ltr;">from survey.models import Vote</div><div style="direction: ltr;">def surveyDisplay(request):</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>return render(request, ‘survey/display.html’)</div></div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;">This is a very simplistic view, and as you can guess, all it does it direct us to an html page we will now create. This doesn’t yet use any of Django’s power-ups, but just hang on. For the html pages we will use, create a folder inside “survey” named “templates”, and under that another one called “survey” (that’s just how Django works). Now create a file called “<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">display.html</span>” (It should reside at <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">c:\code\soccer\survey\templates\survey\display.html</span>).</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;html&gt; &lt;head&gt;&lt;title&gt;Soccer time survey&lt;/title&gt;&lt;/head&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;body&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">Hey, when would you like to play soccer?</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;form action=”process” method=”post”&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">{% csrf_token %}</div><div style="direction: ltr;">Time:</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &lt;input type=”radio” name=”time” id=”choice1″ value=”1″&gt;08:00&lt;/input&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;input type=”radio” name=”time” id=”choice2″ value=”2″&gt;20:00&lt;/input&gt; &lt;/br&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">Day:</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;select name=”day” &gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;option value=”Sun”&gt;Sun&lt;/option&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;option value=”Mon”&gt;Mon&lt;/option&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;option value=”Tue”&gt;Tue&lt;/option&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;option value=”Wed”&gt;Wed&lt;/option&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;option value=”Thu”&gt;Thu&lt;/option&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;option value=”Fri”&gt;Fri&lt;/option&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;option value=”Sat”&gt;Sat&lt;/option&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;/select&gt; &lt;br /&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp;Name:</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;input type=”text” name=”name” /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &lt;input type=”submit” value=”Vote” /&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;/form&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;/body&gt; &lt;/html&gt;</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;">As you can see from the html, this is a regular and simple POST form (ignore the <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">csrf_token </span>for the moment, its a security cookie Django forces you to use in forms). We are simply asking the user to fill in three fields, and posting our results to a webpage called “<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">process</span>“. As you guessed by now, process would be a <i>view</i>&nbsp;in our website. Lets write that view now. Open <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">views.py</span> and add a new view to handle the survey processing:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">def surveyProcess(request):</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>Vote(choiceDay = request.POST['day'],</div><div style="direction: ltr;">choiceTime = int(request.POST['time']),</div><div style="direction: ltr;">voterName = request.POST['name']).save()</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>return HttpResponseRedirect(“results”)</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;">The first expression creates a new Vote object, and fill its data with the information we received from the form. The <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">save()</span> function inserts the object to our DB. The last line redirects the user’s webpage to the results page.</div><div style="direction: ltr;">Yes. You are guessing correctly, now we will write our third and final view – the survey results.</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">def surveyResults(request):</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>votes = Vote.objects.all()</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>context = {‘votes’: votes}</div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>return render(request, ‘survey/results.html’, context)</div></blockquote><div style="direction: ltr;">What have we here this time? &nbsp;<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Vote.objects.all()</span> actually pulls from the DB all of the votes objects into as a list. the next two lines should be interpreted together as “Load the<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> survey/results.html </span>webpage, giving it the votes list as a context for parsing information”. If you remember<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> display.html</span> we just wrote, you remember it was static, meaning it always displayed the same content. One of Django’s strong suits is passing along information (aka context) for the template html file. Lets see how <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">results.html</span> (in the same templates/survey directory as its friend <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">display.html</span>) should use this context:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;html&gt; &lt;head&gt;&lt;title&gt;Soccer time results&lt;/title&gt;&lt;/head&gt; &lt;body&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;ul&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">{% for vote in votes %}</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;li&gt; {{ vote.voterName }} wants to play on {{ vote.choiceDay }} at {% if vote.choiceTime == 1 %} 08:00 {% else %} 20:00 {% endif %}&lt;/li&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">{% endfor %}</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;/ul&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;a href=”survey”&gt;Back to main page&lt;/a&gt;</div><div style="direction: ltr;">&lt;/body&gt; &nbsp;&lt;/html&gt;</div></blockquote>Have you ever seen anything more simple? The Django templates engine allows us to write actual flow-control code in our html templates. Here we create a list, and add a bullet for each entry in the context we were given (by using the field names we chose way back when we created <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">models.py</span>). We use the each list item’s data either by testing it (using <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{% if … %}</span> or simply printing using <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{{vote.<i>name</i>}})</span>.<br /><i>Note: There is nothing stopping you from prettifying your templates in any way you see fit. Neither me or Django will help you with that, as it is not in the current scope of discussion, but you can feel free to implement CSS and&nbsp;JavaScript&nbsp;extensions like <a href="http://getbootstrap.com/">bootstrap </a>or <a href="http://knockoutjs.com/">knockout</a>.</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3. Putting it all together</b></span><br /><br />So we have our three views, and two templates to go along with them (remember our second view, the processing one, doesn’t display anything to the user so it doesn’t need a template). The only thing missing is how to connect everything together. If you think back on what we created, we said a “view” is like a section of our website when thought of from our site of writing the code. From the outside, a “view” is associated with a URL of course.<br /><br />Let’s open our websites urls.py (under <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">c:\code\soccer\soccer\</span>) and fill in:<br /><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div><div style="direction: ltr;">from django.conf.urls import patterns, include, url</div></div><div><div style="direction: ltr;">from survey import views</div></div><div><div style="direction: ltr;">urlpatterns = patterns(”,</div></div><div><div style="direction: ltr;">&nbsp; &nbsp; url(r’^survey$’, ‘survey.views.surveyDisplay’),</div></div><div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>url(r’^process$’, ‘survey.views.surveyProcess’),</div></div><div><div style="direction: ltr;"><span style="white-space: pre;">&nbsp; </span>url(r’^results$’, ‘survey.views.surveyResults’),</div></div><div><div style="direction: ltr;">)</div></div></blockquote></div>What have we here? Django loads this page when we run the server, and thus knows which view is to load with every URL the user typed. The first parameter to each url() is a<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression"> <i>regular-expression</i></a>&nbsp;matching the URL typed, and the second parameter is which view to load. In our website we have the surveyDisplay view for the main page (which now you know will be accessed by &lt;websiteURL&gt;:8000/survey). You remember the post address of the form was “process”, and here we connect it to the correct view as well. The third url() you can already figure out by yourself (Hint: we referenced it when redirecting the user after posting results).<br /><br />That’s it! Save all your files, go back to your console and run the server once more. Once you are convinced everything is alright, run <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">manage.py flush </span>to reset the DB, and send your website link to everyone you know. Nothing will stand in your way from playing soccer again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2